*.v 



01 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

%tjt, ©ojt^rig^i !fxu_ 

Shelf .J.C.JL 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



"Sirs, 

to be Q^ayed? 11 



ERRATA. 



knowledge" ( Index ) 
Page 6, 13th line from bottom ( lines in ). 



12' 



"thereof. 



8 1st and 2nd lines from top, " Baptized,'' Rom & 
Cor. 10:2. 
Page 9, 2nd line from bottom, quoted. 



13, 6th 

15, g " " 
15,8" " 

16, 6 " " 
29, 3rd " 
29, 6th " 
50, 1st " 
55, 1th " 
57, 10" " 
59, 2nd " 
59, 12th" 
m, 13 " " 



top, "eliptical." 
" "saith." 

bottom, "one." 
top, "Philosphy of." 

" "whom." 
bottom, "of grace, kingdom of." 

"shunned." 
top, "O." 

" "here/ 5 

" "foundation of the." 
bottom, "rock." 
top, "purgeth." 



"SIRS, 



What Must I Do 



TD BE 



SAVED?! J 



By Rev. ALEXANDER CUM MING 




'Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889, by Alexander Cumming, 
in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.'' 



DANVILLE, ILL. : 

Oscar Freese, Printer. 

1889. 



£>' 



.a 



" Sirs, What Must I Do to be Saved ?" This is 
the most important of all questions. Every person is 
interested in the answer to this question. 

The Bible must contain the answer. Now after 
more than fifty-two years of earnest, anxious study of 
the Scriptures, eleven years of which without bias ; or 
sectarian prejudice, the answer is most humbly given 
and submitted, in Bible statements in the following 
twenty-nine ESSAYS, and most affectionately offered 
to all persons. 
Catlin, III. 



Alexander Gumming. 



The Library 
op Congress 

WASHINGTON 



3 



ESSAYS. 



1. The greatest possible care is necessary in search of Truth. 

2. The dangers of employing fallacies, 

3. The new Birth. 

4. When was the Kingdom of Grace set up ? 

5. The Bible is the Book of the Law. 

6. Man's moral agency. 

7. How faith comes. 

8. Is God partial ? 

9. " Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? " 

10. "Except ye repent, ye shall also likewise perish." 

11. Pardons and the pardoning power. 

12. " Seek and ye shall find." 

13. " What must we do?" 

14. " Elect according to the acknowledgment of God." 

15. Predestination and reprobation. 

16. Reprobation. 

17. The will. 

18. The atonement. 

19. Jehovah foreknows all tilings. 

20. In becoming a Christian. 

21. Providence misconstrued or secondary causes. 

22. Unconditional predestination ; and reprobation. 

23. The obligations resting on the moral agent. 

24. Unbelief is departure from God; faith is return to God. 

25. The Tree in Eden and the Tree of the Cross. 

26. Ministerial responsibility. 

27. The laws of evidence. 

28. What human personality can do. 

29. How to study the Bible. 



4 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

ESSAY I. 

THE GREATEST POSSIBLE CARE IS NECESSARY IN SEARCH 

OF TRUTH. 



Language is the science of intercommunication, and 
correspondence and is based on Revelation, Creation, 
the endowments of communication, the personality of 
moral agency and action ; and there are dangers in 
construction and application. 

"Either the words of a language, must each denote, 
a single notion — a single fasciculus of thought, the 
multitude of notions, not designated being allowed to 
perish ; or the words of a language must each denote 
a plurality of concepts. The latter of these alterna- 
tives, is universally preferred ; accordingly all languag- 
es by the same words, express, a multitude of thoughts 
more or less, differing from each other." 

— Sir William Hamilton. 

The following is offered in modesty, as an explana- 
tion of the wide range in the employment of terms and 
phrases. That words have centers, and phrases circles 
must be evident : 

In any instrument of writing, or otherwise, in which 
one substantive word, or term, is qualified, by several 
adjuncts, or words setting forth qualities and kinds, 
effects, circumstances and conditions, the last, or near- 
est in the text, context or scope thereof governs the 
case. 



SIBS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 5 

111 any action of any thing, agent, or otherwise, in 
he active, middle or passive voice, in any instrument 
if writing, or otherwise, employing means, methods, 
31* ways, in, by, through, on the account of, or because 
of which : or otherwise, in any sense by which, through 
which, or, on the account of which, or otherwise, change 
is wrought of place, situation, character, condition or 
interest ; or otherwise, which means having each distinct 
methods and ways, plans, conditions, purposes or de- 
sign ; or otherwise, the last or nearest, next, so employ- 
d, in the text, context or scope of the instrument ; or, 
otherwise, in every sense, without debate, governs the 
case. In any instrument of writing, or otherwise, having 
any purpose or design because of the employment of 
any material, substance, place or thing, concrete or 
metaphysical ; or otherwise, as causal, conditional or 
consequential of any other action and results of any 
thing, or agent, or otherwise esoteric or exoteric, contig- 
uous or remote, that nearest in the text, context or scope 
thereof, governs the case. In any instrument, matter 
or cause in dispute, the preponderance of testimony 
governs the cause. In any instrument matter or cause, 
where one is so imployed in the text, context or scope 
thereof, and is often so employed, and one is never so 
imployed, there is no plea for controversy. 

The greatest care should obtain in regard to the 
Scriptures: speak where God speaks; where God is silent 
maintain silence. To, in any sense, add to, in any sense, 



6 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

in any thing, method, way or sense ; to, in any sense, take 
from, in any sense, in any thing, method, way or sense, 
what God speaks in His holy word : or to, in any sense, 
add to, in any sense, in any thing, method, way or sense ; 
to, in any sense, take from, in any sense, in any thing, 
method, way or sense, what God does not speak, in His 
' holy word, must be received as testimony in evidence 
of unbelief and is the employment of fallacies. There 
is the division of fallacies, into those in the words, 
(in dictione,) and those in the matter ( extra dictionem,) 
(to add words to, to take words from, or to add meanings 
to, to take meanings from.) 

The Scriptures should be translated. They are their 
own commentaries. They explain their records. They 
are in their own order, arranged in subjects for study, so 
any reader may trace their lines and in the study thereof, 
and the Holy Spirit interprets the doctrines therof to the 
human soul ; so men feel in the reading of the Script- 
ures, that they should become obedient followers of 
Christ. There is nothing so important as the Scriptures, 
no book so important as the Bible, and therefore God's 
word claims fair and just dealings. Receive it as it is ; 
give it as it is. It is safe to say any human formulated 
statement of revealed truth must be in error, is danger- 
ous and should be rejected. Human formulated state- 
ments of revealed truth are such as construe, so that 
words are added to, or taken from the Bible statements, 
or statements that add to, or take from the meanings 



BIBS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 7 

of Bible statements. It is no small matter to trifle 
with Jehovah, and the eternal destinies of men. 

The word, baptism, in all its inflections, in all lan- 
guages, in which it is found, has many adjuncts. There 
i> a very large number in Greek Literature, and quite a 
number in the Xew Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 
The term is employed in the Xew Testament in the fol- 
lowing connections, relations and conditions. (The term 
baptism, is ambiguous from the context, ie., from what 
id or understood in conjunction with it,) " His Bap- 
tism," Matt. 3:7 : "Baptism, I am baptized with," Matt. 
10:38 : -Baptism of John," Matt. 21:25 ; "John did 
baptize," Mar. 1:4; "John did preach the baptism of 
repentance for the remission of sins," Mar. 1:4 : ki The 
baptism of John," Luke 7:23; -Baptism John preached," 
Acts 10:37 : -John preached the baptism of repentance," 
Acts 13:24; - John did baptize a baptism of repentance 
Acts, 19:4 ; " one baptism," Eph. 4:5 ; " The doctrine 
of baptism," Heb. 6:4 ; - Saved by baptism," Peter 3:21; 
u Buried with him by baptism," Rom. 6:4 ; " John did 
baptize in the wilderness," Mar. 1:4 ; " Believeth and 
is baptized." Mar. 16 : -Baptize in water," Matt. 3:11 ; 
<< Baptism from heaven or of men." Matt. 21:25, Mar. 
11:20, Luke 20:4; -He shall baptize with the Holy 
Spirit." Matt. 3:11. Mar. 1:8: "In lire." Matt. 3:11, 
Mar. 1 :8 : " Repent and be baptized;* Acts, 2:38 ; " Bap- 
tized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Acts 8:16 ; -Bap- 
tized who have received the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:48 ; 



8 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

"Baptize into Christ," Rom. 6:4; " Baptize into His 
death," Rom. 6:4 ; "Baptize into Moses, in the cloud 
and in the sea," 1st. Cor. 10:2 ; " By one Spirit are we all 
baptized into one body," 1 st. Cor. 12:13; "Baptized for the 
dead," 1st. Cor. 15:29 ; "Baptized into Christ, Gal.3:25 ; 
" Baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Spirit," Matt. 28:1'9 ; " John bap- 
tized in Jordan," Matt. 1:5 ; " Jesus was baptized of 
John," John 3:23 ; " Jesiis made and baptized more 
disciples than John ( though Jesus baptized not ; but 
his disciples,) " John 4:1-2. The adjunct, water, is not 
found in Peter's Pentecost sermon. The adjunct, re- 
pentance, is, in Acts 2:38. Repentance is an adjunct of 
baptism in the New Testament. " John preached the 
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins," Mar. 
1:4, Luke 3:3 ; "and that in His name reformation, in 
order to forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed to all 
the nations,"Luke 24:47. " Emph Diaglott," Wilson. In 
the abscence of the adjunct water, and with the adjunct 
"repent" in Acts 2:38, it is in harmony with the laws 
and government of language, and the analysis of the 
Scriptures, and by the Scriptures, to accept of the bap- 
tism of Acts 2:38, as the baptism of repentance. 

Is it not evident that the Scriptures teach the doctrine 
of the baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins? 

The Apostle does not preach another Gospel to the 
Romans. But the same as preached by Peter at Penta- 
cost, Rom. 3:25-27. "Repent ye therefore, and be 



SIRS. WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 9 

co averted, every one of you, that your sins may be 
blottel out when the times of refreshing shall come 
from the presence of the Lord," Acts 3:10 ; kt But the 
Angel of the Lord, by night opened the prison doors, 
and brought them forth and said, go stand and speak 
in 4 he Temple to the People all the words of this life," 
Acts 5:19-20 ; "Him hath God exalted with his right 
hand to be a Prince, and a Savior, for to give repentance, 
to Israel, and remission of sins, "Acts 5:31. Repentance 
and remission of sins, are joined together in the Script- 
ures, and the Apostle Peter does not seek their separa- 
tion. The Apostle Paul, does not preach another Gos- 
del for the remission of sins, " For Christ sent me not 
to baptize, but to preach the Gospel," 1st Cor. 1:17 ; 
"To open their Blind eyes, and to turn them from 
darkness, to light, and from the power of Satan to God ; 
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance 
among them that are sanctified, by faith that is in me," 
Acts 26:18. Paul says of John's baptism, i; John bap- 
tized a baptism of reformation," Acts 19:4. Baptized 
those, who, had been baptized by repentance. It would 
be in order, now, to baptize a baptism of repentance. 
There was no change made by the Apostle Paul, in the 
conditions of pardons "and how I kept back npthing, 
that was profitable unto you but showed you, and taught 
you publicly, and from house to house," Acts 20:20. 
Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks'. 
To repent is to reform, to reform is to be converted. 



10 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

Repentance and remission of sins joined together. 
" Repentance toward God, and faith toward Our Lord 
Jesus Christ/' Acts 20:21 ; "Wherefore, I take you to 
record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all 
men," Acts 20:26 ; "For I have not shunned to declare, 
unto you the whole council of God," Acts 20:27 ; "To 
open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, 
and from the power of Satan to God, that they may 
receive the forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among 
them that are santified, by faith that is in me," Acts 
26:18 ; " But showed first unto them of Damascas, and 
at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coast of Judea, and 
then to the Gentiles that they should repent, and turn 
to God, and do works meet for repentance," Acts 26:20. 
Repentance is called baptism. "John preached the 
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." The 
methods of the plan of human redemption are a 
unit — they are the same, "For by grace are ye saved, 
through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift 
of God." The Apostle Peter preached, "Repent, and 
be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when 
the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of 
the Lord," Acts 3:19 ; and the Apostle Paul says, "For 
Christ sent me not to baptize ; but to preach the Gos- 
pel," 1st Cor. 1:17. Our Lord joins repentance and for- 
giveness, or pardon, in language not to be misunderstood. 
" If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him and 
if he repent, forgive him," Luke 17:3 ; "Except ye re- 



i 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? I 1 

pent ye shall all likewise perish," Luke 13:3. Paul says, 
"Now I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that 
'l'rowed to repentance, for ye were made sorry after 
a Godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us 
in nothing," "For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to 
salvation, that needeth not to be repented of," 2nd Cor.. 
7:9-10; "Through faith in His blood to declare his 
righteousness, for the remission of sins," Rom. 3:25 ; 
"To him gave all the Prophets witness, that through 
his name whosoever shall believe in him, shall receive 
remission of sins."* Acts 10:43 : ** Verily, verily. I say 
unto you. he that hearethmy word, and believeth on Him 
that sent me. hath, everlasting life, and shall not come 
into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life," 
John 5:24. The way to Christ, is His way. The sor- 
rowing soul is willing in Christ' s way. The way to the 
Cross, is the way of sorrow, and it is up- the mountain. 
The sorrowing soul has no way of his own : he is willing 
in Christ's way, and he exclaims. U I was led by a way I 
knew not." The Scriptures instruct, that Our Lord, 
comes in pardoning mercy, to the sorrowing, penitent, 
believer, when no eye sees the anguish of the sorrowing 
send* but the Eye that pities, and the poor penitent is 
ready to dispair, than pardon comes ; and the Reign of 
Grace is established in the soul. In this, the experience 
of the believer is in harmony with the Scriptures. Our 
Lord's way of saying and doing, are joined in eternal 
wedlock, never to be separated: no, never. 



12 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

ESSAY II. 

THE DANGERS OF EMPOYING FALLACIES. 



Language is the assemblage of figures based on nature, 
the laws of personality, intercommunications, necessary 
correspondence, revelation and the activities of second- 
ary, physical, moral, mental and spiritual agencies. 
There are imperfections, material and grave, in the 
apprehension, judgment and argument, or perception, 
conception and judgment of human personality; and 
there is danger of the most startling, alarming and 
damaging wrongs, in the misunderstanding or perversion 
of words and terms, thereby making, or seeking to 
make, truth appear as error, and error as truth. There 
are personal ends to serve, and party interests to meas- 
ure, in order to which, there seems to be a willingness 
to cloud the skies with bewildering fallacies ; and cover 
the way of poor mortals with blending falsehoods. The 
force of scholastics, and early training in religious 
theories, and the grasp of zeal without knowledge, serve 
the subjects thereof, with captive chains in physical, 
moral, mental and spiritual slavery, dangerous to human 
personalty and destiny ; and these are only relieved by 
the saving power of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus 
Christ. The plausibility of fallacies, and the attenuated 
tissues of sophistries, employed by experts, and their 
shadows, who would like to Lord it over God's heritage, 
are the more dangerous because they presume to come 



SIRS. WHAT MUST I DO TO RE SAVED ? 13 

in the name of the Lord ; and because they profess to 
stand, in all purposes of the highest good to human 
onality and destiny. 

Those who for hire and reward, or otherwise, will 
deal in fallacies with human souls are such as should be 
id by in silence. The esliptical character of ordi- 
nary discourse, causes many terms to become practically 
ambiguous, which yet are not of themselves employed, 
in a different sense : but with and in different applica- 
tions, (sometimes are ambiguous from the context, ie.. 
from what is understood in connection with them,) which 
are well understood, in the Philosphy of the use of words. 
The term "faith " as to it's action is one thing, but it's 
object quite another. It may be positive or negative, 
theoretical or practical. Biblical or sectarian. Pagan or 
Mohammedan. Jewish or Christian. The ternr*baptism" 
comes under these rules, as " water baptism," " tire bap- 
tism." " baptism of the spirit," and others. Baptism 
in Greek literature, and in that of all languages, in which 
it is found, has many adjuncts, and they set forth its 
employments and purpioses. Baptism has many adjuncts 
in the Scriptures, of Divine Revelations, and the meets 
and bounds thereof, in uses and employments are meas- 
ured and determined, by the terms, text, context, and 
pe of the writing or otherwise. 

To employ the term in the New Testament Literature, 
in any other sense, or for any other purpose, than the 
Xew Testament sense or purpose, is to employ fallacies 



14 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

in their methods and arguments. Terms are not con- 
scripts. In the analysis of any argument, all that might 
be said or asserted, is to be discarded, contemplating, only, 
what actually is said or laid down, in the premises. It 
has been, and is now, said, and Avritten, Baptism is for 
the remission of sins. Is this proposition universal ? 
It is, and affirmative? Yes. A universal affirmative dis- 
tributes the subject, then all baptism is for the remission 
of sins, ie., all baptism ever known, is for the remission 
of sins. Has one person in time's history been obedient 
to all baptism? No, then no one has claims to the 
benefit. Is the proposition particular ? Then some 
baptism say all the New Testament baptism. Who has 
received ail the NewTestament baptism ? ( See N. T. B.) 
Is it one New Testament baptism ? Then which one ? 
It reads " One Lord, one faith, one baptism," Eph. 4:5. 
It also reads "Ye shall be baptized with baptism I am 
baptized with," Mark 10:38-39 ; " For by one spirit are 
we all baptized into one body," 1st Cor. 12:13. Is it 
water baptism ? If there were just one text in the Bi- 
ble — Be baptized in water for remission of sins. Then 
water baptism for remmission of sins would rest on 
grounds for debate. If there were just one passage in 
the Bible, Be baptized in water and thou shalt be 
saved, then water baptism in order to salvation 
might be a question of dispute. The adjunct that 
qualifies the substantive in the text contest, or scope of 
the writing or otherwise governs the case. But urge 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 15 

some baptism of the New Testament. What part ? or 
what one ? Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or lire, or re- 
pentance or some other? What part ? or what one? 
Who will presume to say? How careful investigation 
should be in this matter. To instruct that certain act- 
tions terminate in certain results ; and such taking on 
unmeasured, eternal and endless destinies, without the 
• k thus sayeth the Lord," is to take on unmeasured re- 
sponsibilities. 

Revealed truth determines itself. Truth must de- 
termine truth. The Bible its own analysis ; and the 
analysis is read and believed, or served with unbelief. 
Scripture explains Scripture. Truth is one, and eternal, 
and truth and error are never joined iu wedlock. Er- 
ror falls on its origin, and those who join destinies with 
its origin. Truth stands forever. Biblical analysis 
must determine what baptism is for the remission of 
sins. "One baptism, 1 ' Eph. 4:5. The third and fourth 
verses recite, endeavoring to keep the unity of the 
spirit in the bonds of peace, " There is one body, and 
one spirit;' 1 "Therefore by our spirit are we all baptized 
into one body," 1st Cor. 12:13 (the same doctrine is 
under discussion in the two chapters.) Bewildering 
schemes are employed by men for the purpose of sus- 
taining theories, as, " believe and thou shalt be saved," 
instead of "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou 
shalt be saved." God's order is the plan of salvation, 
human theories to the contrary withstanding. God's 



16 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

order is clearer than the sun-beams. If there were one 
single text in the Bible — Be baptized in water for the 
remission of sins ; or be baptized in water and thou 
shalt be saved, then the theory might rest on grounds 
of debate. But there is not one. It is a violation of 
all the canons of the Philology for the use of words to 
divorce terms from their legal relation and join them 
in unholy wed-lock, for unholy purposes. Such rela- 
tions abound, and their families are large and children 
numerous. 

The whole Bible instructs men that the work of 
regeneration is by the Holy Spirit. 



ESSAY III. 

THE NEW BIRTH. 



" But as many as received Him, to them gave He 
power to become the Sons of God, even to them that 
believed on His name, which were born not of blood, 
nor of the will of the flesh nor the voice of man but of 
God," John 1:12-13. 

The subject of our Lord's discourse to Nicodemus, in 
the third chapter of John, is " the new birth ;" and the 
object, the necessity of the new birth. " Ye must be 
born again." The figure employed by our Savior, is 
" Born of the flesh," with which born again ( or of the 
the Spirit,) is held in similarity, and contrast or anti- 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SATED ? 17 

thesis. No one versed in the Philosophy of the use of 
words, will presume to carry figures beyond the purpos- 
es for which they are intended. Fallacies always employ 
. methods of deceit. 

The metaphors our Lord employs in this sermon, are 

, hudor (water) and pnuma (wind) — essentials in the ori- 

l gin of things, and perpetuity of personality. The word 

. pnuma, is Greek, the word spiritus, is Latin and both 

< signify wind. By cutting off "us" from the Latin spir- 

tins, there is what is called the English word spirit. 

The word water is Anglo-Saxon and is employed to 

translate the Greek w r ord hudor. The Latin word 

spiritus is employed to represent God, " Deus est Spirit- 

us" John 4:24 ; and, is employed to translate the Greek 

word pnuma into English ; but .which is only a transla- 

I tion into Latin and, then a transfer of the Latin word 

spiritus with "us" cut off as an English word. The 

Greek word hudor, is employed to represent the Spirit 

of Deity. " Out of his belly shall flow (hudatos) water. 

But this he spake of the (pnumatos) Spirit, which they 

that believe in Him should receive. " For the Holy 

(pnuma) Spirit had not been given," John 7:38-39 ; 

"AH drank of the same (pnimiatikon) Spiritual drink, 

j for they drank of that (pnumatikees) Spiritual Rock that 

followed them, and that Rock was Christ," 1st Cor. 10:4 ; 

" God is (pnuma) Spirit," John 4:24. The word hudor 

\ (water), and pmuma (wind), are employed interchangea^ 

I b]y in the Scriptures, and both employed to represent 



18 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

the Holy Spirit, (John 7:38-39, see " Our Lord's sermon 
to Nicodemus.") " Jesus answered and said to him, 
verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born 
from (anothen) above, he cannot see the Kingdom of 
God," John 3:3 ; "Jesus answered, verily, verily, I say 
unto thee, except a man be born (Jiudatos) of water and 
(pmtmatos) of wind, he cannot enter the Kingdom of 
God," 5th verse ; " That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," 6th verse ; 
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born 
from (anothen) above," 7th verse ; " The wind bloweth 
where it listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, but 
oanst not tell from whence it cometh and whither it 
goeth ; so is every one that is born of the Spirit," 8th 
verse. The Anglo-Saxon words, water and wind, are 
employed to translate hudatos and pmtmatos in this 
text, and the reading is born of the water and wind. 
Water and wind are employed by our Lord as adjuncts 
of the new birth, and if one may be translated by the 
Latin word, spiritus, with the "us" cut off, why not the 
other? Then the Greek word, kai, is with propriety 
translated "even," which signilies precisely the same, 
and the full force and meaning of our Lord's discourse 
on the doctrine, importance and absolute necessity of 
the regeneration of the soul, are proclaimed in language 
not to be misunderstood by wayfaring men and women. 

•" BORN OF THE SPIRIT, EVEN THE SPIRIT." Our Lord 

states the doctrine in the fifth verse of the chapter ; He 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 19 

declares the doctrine in the third and seventh verses, 
" born from above ; " affirms the doctrine in the sixth 
verse, " That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and 
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," and confirms 
it in the eighth verse, " The wind bloweth where it 
listeth, and thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst 
not tell from whence it cometh, and whither it goeth ; 
so is every one that is born of the Spirit." The regen- 
eration of the soul is by the act of God, and the soul 
is passive. There are two births in our Lord's discourse 
to Xicodemus, "born of the flesh" and "born of the 
Spirit." The latter is unseen by mortal eyes; it is 
seen by God and felt by the soul. There may be an 

1 allusion by our Lord to, "But one of the soldiers with 
a spear, pierced His side and forthwith there came out 

| blood and water," John 19:34. Blood and water signi- 
fy ransom price and cleansing. The soul redeemed and 
born from above. To force our Lord's sermon to Ni- 
codemus into the realm of water baptism seems unfair 
and unjust — unfair to men and unjust to the Saviour # 
( See Heb. 9:21-22-23 ; 1st John 5:4-10 ; Zee. 13:1 ; Eccl. 
11:5 : 1st Cor. 2:11.) 



20 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

ESSAY IV. 

WHEN WAS THE REIGN OF GRACE SET UP ? 



The Sovereign of the Universe has never relinquish- 
ed His right of reigning over any province of His Em- 
pire. He reigns in all the Universe, in love, justice, 
or mercy, and all beings and things are subjects of His 
government. This Province of His Dominion in a 
fatal moment, by voluntary action and choice, rebelled 
against the Sovereign of all Worlds. This brought 
Adam and his family into moral relations with another, 
who had instituted a system of usurpation and revolt, 
and Jehovah's government was in His own methods 
changed from love to justice. " So God created man 
in His own image," Gen. 1:27 ; " and God blessed" — to 
justice. " Cursed is the ground for thy sake, "Gen. 3:17 ; 
" So He drove them out of the Garden and He placed 
a flaming sword at the east of Eden," Gen. 3:24. All 
the claims upon the Fatherhood of God were forfeited, 
and Adam seems to have so understood his relations. 
He never entered a plea for mercy. There is not even 
a faint outline of such an indication. The order or 
rule was changed from justice to mercy. The change 
from love to justice was sought by transgression. But 
the change from justice to mercy was unsought, unask- 
ed, on Adam's part. A state in rebellion is held under 
the reign of law, in and during a reign of mercy, pro- 
claimed in an act of amnesty. The Divine Father of 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 21 

the Universe was not overtaken, as by disaster in the 
transgression by Adam. In regard to this, God had 
made provisions — Jehovah's foreknowledge foreseeing 
the transgression of law in man's moral agency. Man 
had the power to keep the law with the right to keep 
it ; he had the power, without the right, to transgress 
the law ; and, man, the moral agent himself, took it 
upon himself to take all the responsibility in the fearful 
issues of the transgression of law. Provisions are made 
in human governments for the violation of law with- 
out designing the action in the violation of law on the 
part of the subject or citizen ; and, human foresight, 
based on observation and experiment, provides for 
1 accidents in the chapters of chance. In sea-ports there 
I are ship yards. In these large ships are constructed for 
i the World's commerce. These large ships are provided 
with life boats. Ask the builders what are the life boats 
for? The answer is ready, for the salvation of those 
on board should the ship go down at sea. Do you de- 
sign the loss of the ship?* No, by no means, but should 
the ship go down, the design is to save those on board. 
So God, the Father of the Human Family, provided in 
j his Fatherhood for the violation of law, and for the 
i calamity consequent upon the violation and transgres- 
sion of the rules of His government, and the life boat 
was launched on the great ship, humanity. 

u The Lamb slain from the foundation oc theWorld," 
Rev. 13:8 ; and, "I will put enmity between thoe and 



22 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall 
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel, "Gen. 3:15; 
(Gen. 22:8; Isaiah 55:7 ; John 1:29 ; Acts 8:32-35; 1st 
Peter 1:9; Rev.5:6; 15:13; 21:22; 22:21.) The pro- 
visions are the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ and 
by virtue thereof, the act of annesty was proclaimed. 
The purposes of God are eternal, and therefor with 
Him are one eternal present ; things, that are not to us, 
are with Him. " He calls things that are not, as though 
they were." The enemy, who wrought the moral change 
in the citizenship of Adam, was restrained under the 
proclamation of the Reign of Grace ; thereby, he was 
rendered less powerful in his evil designs. The same 
restraining forces have always held the wicked in check ; 
giving the moral agent a view of the all controlling 
Sovereignty or Jehovah ; giving the family of Adam to 
witness that Satan was under the power of God : "And 
the Lord said unto the serpent, because thou hast done 
this, thou art cursed above every beast of the field ; 
upon thy belly shalt thou go, aitd dust shalt thou eat all 
the days of thy life," Gen. 3:14. The Reign of Grace 
was proclaimed in the seed of the woman ; was preached 
by Patriarchs ; was prophetic in visions of seers ; was the 
song of Israel's sweet singer ; and expanded and con- 
firmed in the advent of the Messiah — His conflict with 
the powers of darkness ; His conquest and His triumph 
over Satan, over death and Hell ; His subjugation of 
human souls ; and, the citizenship in the Kingdom of 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 23 

Grace of all who touch the golden scepter of Irnman- 
uePs love ; and, the salvation of all who keep the 
commandments of Jehovah. "I will put enmity be- 
tween thee and the woman ; and, between thy seed and 
her seed ; and, it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt 
bruise his heel," Gen. 3:15. The human family, in har- 
mony with the proclamation of amnesty, has ever been 
divided into, and distinguished by two classes, the " seed 
of the Kingdom," and " the seed of the wicked one." 
The line of separation appears between Cain and Abel. 
It is clear ; it is distinct ; it is well written all through 
the period before the flood, and recorded in the times 
and events of the flood. The doctrine is confirmed by 
our Lord Jesus Christ : " He answered and said unto 
them, he that soweth the good seed is the son of man. 
The field is the World ; the good seed are the children 
of the Kingdom ; but the tares are the children of the 
wicked one. The enemy that sowed them is the Devil ; 
the harvest is the end of the World ; and, the reapers 
are the angels,' 1 Matt. 13, 37, 38, 39. The doctrine of 
amnesty is a doctrine of revelation. There must have 
been a government in order to an act of amnesty. There 
must be a government from which it must proceed. 
This act of amnesty proceeded from the Government of 
Grace — the Kingdom of Divine Favor. 

The Reign of Grace is over this province of Jeho- 
vah's Empire. The Messiah is King of Zion. The 
government is the Divine Favor. The laws are love 



24 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

The conditions of citizenship are absolute surrender to 
Christ, as King ; to His authority and rule in soul, life 
and body and service, forever : " Verily, verily, I say un- 
to you, he that heareth my words, and believeth on Him 
that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come 
into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life," 
John 5:24 ; " Who hath delivered us from the power of 
darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of 
His dear Son," Cor. 1:13. The Reign of Grace once 
objective in an unregenerated state, in regeneration is 
subjective. " Neither shall they say lo, here, or lo, there 
for behold the Kingdom of God is within you," Luke 
17:21. The Kingdom of Grace was to rise and expand, 
to take on proportions in its imperial and subline mag- 
esty. " In the days of these kings, shall the God of 
Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroy- 
ed ; and, the Kingdom shall not be left to other people ; 
but it shall break in pieces and consume all other king- 
doms, and it shall stand forever," Dan. 2:44. The word 
qum translated " set up" is rendered "rise," "stand," 
"endure," "remain," not something that had never been, 
but that which had been ; and was to take on more ex- 
pansive and demonstrative proportions. The Kingdom 
of Grace is meditorial between God's love and »His 
justice ; and, the Reign of Grace is to restore man from 
Divine justice to Divine love (which love was lost in 
the transgression of law.) 

The Messiah is Prophet, Priest and King : "A Prophet 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED t 25 

mighty in deed and word," Luke 19:24 ; "The Great 
High Priest, 1 ' Heb. 4:14 ; 8:13 ; 9:14 ; King of all the 
Earth," Zech. 14:45-9; -King of kings," Rev. 1*7:14; 

"He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the 
Highest, and the Lord shall give unto him the throne 
of his father, David ; and, he shall reign over the house 
of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom and there shall 
be no end," Luke 1:32-33. In the Reign of Grace the 
Great Prophet prophesied. The Great High Priest 
offered the offering of Himself ; and, as the King, He 
reigns in Zion, in harmony with Daniel's prophetic vi- 
sion. Christ gave His kingdom sublime proportions and 
royal majesty ; proclaimed the glad tidings of the Di- 
vine favor, and appointed His ambassadors, commission- 
ed His heralds, and confirmed the mission of His Church 
at Pentacost. The Reign of Grace is one, from the 
promise to the woman, to Christ's coming, and ever will 
be one. The Reign of Grace knows no change in sub- 
stance, fact, or truth ; no change of king, laws, gov- 
ernment, methods of grace, nor character of citizens. 
The Kingdom of Grace knows no human legislation. 
Human legislation lias never been known in the Kino-- 
, dom of Grace. There is no human law, rule, canon, 
i system or thing, of human invention, in belonging to, 
or forming part in any sense of the Reign of Grace, 
nor ever can. The Reign of Grace has never been 
destroyed ; had it been, human hands could not restore 
it. The institutions of men rise and fall. They seem 



26 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

built on high, for a period they seem to flourish, then 
fall and disappear only in their ruins. But the King- 
dom of Grace will never fail ; nor shall it be given to 
another people. Human institutions may swell their 
numbers ; but regenerated souls, only, are citizens of the 
Kingdom of Grace. " It will never be given to anoth- 
er people." The Reign of Grace maintains, the apostacy 
of Adam, the Sovereign love of God, the atonement of 
Christ ; man's moral agency, the doctrines of pardon, 
the regeneration of the soul, the salvation of the right- 
eous and the destiny of the ungodly. The doctrine of 
pardon implies the transgression of law ; the methods 
of pardon imply satisfaction rendered, the law trans- 
gressed. The methods of Grace never change. The 
methods of pardon never change. The methods of 
pardon were perfect in the beginning in God's way ; it 
needed the same that it now needs, no more, no less. 
The Reign of Grace is a unit and must so remain. The 
The atonement, and faith have always been joined in 
the Divine order of pardon. "To Him gave all the 
Prophets witness ; that through His name, whosoever 
believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins," Acts 
10:43 ; "Abel was a keeper of sheep," Gen. 4:2 ; "and 
Abel, He also bought of the firstlings of his flock, and 
the fat thereof ," Gen. 4:4 ; and, "the Lord had respect 
unto Abel and his offering," Gen. 4:4 ; and, "Noah 
builded an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean 
beast and of e'very clean fowl, and offered burnt offer- 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SA\ KI> ? 27 

ings on the altar," Gen. 8:20 ; "and, the Lord smelled 
a sweet savor," Gen. 8:21 ; "By which also, he went 
and preached to the spirits in prison," 1st Peter 3:19 ; 
"which were sometimes disobedient, when once the long 
suffering of God waited in the days of Noah," 1st Pet- 
er 3:20. The people, who lived in the days of Noah, 
had the same Gospel — the same plan of salvation 
preached to them that has ever been proclaimed to 
mankind. The spirits of those who rejected the Gos- 
pel were, at the writing of Peter, in prison. Xoah was 
a preacher of righteous. " By faith Noah having been 
warned of God, of thing not seen, as yet, moved with 
fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by 
which he condemed the world, and became heir of the 
righteousness which is by faith.," Heb. 11:7 : 2nd Pet- 
er 2:5. " By faith, Abram, when he was called to go 
out into a place that he should after receive for an in- 
heritance, obeyed ; and, he went out not knowing 
whither he went," Heb. 11:18. " By faith, Moses, when 
he was come to years, refused to be called the son of 
Pharoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction 
with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of 
sin for a season, esteeming the reproaches of Christ 
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt ; for he had 
respect unto the recompense of reward. By faith he 
forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king for he 
endured as seeing Him who is invisible," Heb. 1 1 : 2 4-2 7. 
The Scriptures instruct mankind that the Reign of 



28 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

Grace had its origin in Heaven in the councils of Jeho- 
vah, with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ; and, 
that it is a system of love. The provisions of the Reign 
of Grace are adequate to the salvation of all men, ( that 
all infants and all not capable of faith are saved by the 
provisions.) But are applied in salvation, only, to 
those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ; that on 
these conditions the act of amnesty was proclaimed ; 
that the act of amnesty contains the conditions of 
pardon ; that the children of the Wicked One have 
been in all ages of the History of Time ; that the Sons 
of God have been known in all ages ; that Christ came 
as Zion's King ; that He fulfilled the preditions of Di- 
vine Revelation ; that He set His kingdom in order ; that 
He called His ambassador ; that He commissioned His 
Church; that He confirmed the commission at Pentacost; 
that He gave the Book of the Law to His followers as 
their rule of faith and practice ; that it contains all that 
is necessary in order to the salvation of the human 
soul. This Book instructs in regard to local bodies of 
believers, subjects of the Reign of Grace, uniting in 
assemblies — congregations — for the purposes recorded 
in the Book of Law ; that the Ecclesia is appointed to a 
work, and given the Divine right to preach the Gospel 
to all people. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the builder of His Church : 
" On this Rock I will build my Church, and the gates 
of Hell shall not prevail against it." Christ is the 



SIKS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 29 

Author of all its plans; its form and fashion arc His, 
pAnd He goeth up into a mountain, and called unto him 
who He would, and they came unto Him ; and, lie or- 
dained twelve that they should be with Him, and that 
He might send them forth to preach, " Matt. 3:13-14 ; 
u and, to have power to heal the sick and cast out Dev- 
ils," Matt. 3:15. The names of those called are given 
and recorded in the nineteenth verse. Our Lord was 
the Pastor of the First Church in Xew Testament 
order. He administered the Holy Supper to the First 
Church — local body. These were Disciples, Christians, 
before they were called out (except Judas) into Church 
relations. They were prepared for Church organization. 
They were organized as a Missionary Church. They 
did business as a Church ; "and, they gave forth their 
lot, and the lot fell upon Mathias, and he was numbered 
with the eleven, " Acts 1:26. There is nothing in the 
Pentacost sermon about the organization of the Church. 
There is nothing said about setting up the Kingdom.'.' 
"Three thousand were added to them ;" "and the Lord 
added to the Church daily such as should be saved." 
They were all of one accord in one place'. The Reign 
of Grace and the Kingdom of Heaven receive within 
its lines all regenerated persons ; they are spiritual 
subjects thereof. A local body of Christians, in. New 
Testament order of church-hood, is quite another thing. 
The Lord Jesus confirmed His Church and the ^reat 
commission thereof on the day of Pentacost. 



30 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

".How hear we every man in our own tongue wherein, 
we were born," Acts 2:8. " We do hear them speak in 
our own tongues, the wonderful works of God," Acts 
2:11. Our Lord in no sense left His personal work to 
other hands. How could it be possible for aliens to set 
a Kingdom for Christ, and constitute themselved citi- 
zens thereof? The Saviour's work was not left to other 
hands, and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against His 
w r orks. "I am the good Shepherd," u know My sheep, 
am known of Mine ; " " the sheep follow Me," " and a 
stranger will they not follow," John 10:4-5-11-14. " The 
Kingdom of God is within you." The Great Head of 
tne Church is Conqueror. The laws, government, form 
fashion, ordinances, and citizens of the Reign of Grace 
and Church of Jesus Christ are one, each in order, and 
the same forever ; and, no power can prevail against 
the King in Zion, and His work shall stand forever. 
Ho power can destroy the Reign of Grace, nor prevail 
against the Church of our Redeemer, nor could human 
hands restore either, if the gates of Hell could prevail. 

ESSAY V. 

THE BIBLE IS THE BOOK OF THE LAW. 



The Holy Bible is the Book of the Law unto God's 
People forever, in the Kingdom of Grace and unto the 
Church of Christ through the ages. "All Scripture is 
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doc- 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 31 

trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
righteousness ; that the man of God may be perfect, 
thoroughly furnished unto every good work," 2nd Tim. 
3:16-17. "The Gospel is the power of God unto salva- 
tion," Rom. 1:16. The Bible is all that is needed ; and, 
needs no less in the work of human redemption ; ie., 
the Bible as God makes it and all He makes. Receive 
it just as God gives it ; add nothing to it, take nothing 
from it. It is the theory and practices of church-hood 
and Christian life. It is the literature of the Church 
and the personal Christian of all time. It is the reve- 
lation of God's will, and the testimony of Christ. It 
instructs men in regard to what they are ; and, what 
they need to be : what man by sin has lost and how he 
may find it. The Bible tells man what to do to be sav- 
ed and how to do it. The Bible is its own commenta- 
tor ; it is its own analysis. Scripture explains Scripture, 
The Holy Spirit interprets the doctrine of Divine 
Revelation to the human soul. The Scriptures should 
be translated (instructions in this seem to be found in 
the Pentecost record ) into the language of the people 
to whom it is addressed. Give it just as God gives it. 
Give what God says just as God says it. Employ the 
best word in the language, into which the translation is 
made, to express the meaning of the word from which 
the translation is made. 

Men must believe God's word, just because it is God's 
word. Men must believe God on His own word ; neither 



32 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

add to it, nor take from it. To, in any sense, add to, 
in any sense, in anything, method, way or sense ; to 
take from, in any sense, in anything, method, way or 
sense, what God says in His word ; or to, in any sense, 
add to, in any sense, in anything, method, way or sense ; 
to, in any sense, take from in any sense, in anything, 
method, way or sense, what God does not say in His 
word, must be received as testimony of unbelief. The 
former is adding or taking from the words, the latter 
the meaning of the words. 

ESSAY VI. 

man's moral agency. 



The danger of over or underestimating human abili- 
ty, should lay its impress on the human understanding. 
The agent is one who renders service by some kind of 
action. The moral agent is one whose actions are re- 
stricted by virtue of relative relations, sustained to- 
ward superior, equal and inferior ; ie, toward God, 
toward man, and toward subordinate nature. The free 
moral agent is the one, who is omnipotent, omniscient, 
and omnipresent, Jehovah, alone, is such. God is free, 
having the power to compass freedom. Jehovah had 
the powej* and the right to make and form moral agents, 
and to constitute them in His own way, secondary 
Subordinate Sovereigns, with all the attributes of the 
endowments thereof, susceptible to perception, concep- 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 33 

tion and judgment, with the powers of rational argu- 
ments, and the corresponding science of induction based 
on experiment and observation. The freedom of this 
moral agent, man, God measured by his, man's, agen- 
cy. The power of choice with Adam was in harmony 
with this agency. He, man, had the power to choose 
the wrong but not the right. " Thou shalt not ;" he, 
man, had the power to keep the law with the right to 
keep it ; and, that Jehovah had the right to hold the 
moral agent, man, accountable for his actions. The 
ghoice on Adam's part involved two services, the service 
of Jehovah and the service of Satan. It is quite evident 
that Adam understood his responsibility in his power 
of choice ; that he weighed the statements of Jehovah, 
and the discourse of Satan ; and, it is evident that Adam 
of his own free will made his choice and that of and for 
his family. 

The moral agent would seem almost like a God — He 
sees ! How his vision sweeps the disks, and skies, and 
fields of space ; he draws images of the unfathomed 
depths ; he expands into azure blue, and on wings of 
swiftest thought, sweeps by pyramids and worlds, to gaze 
on scenes still remote. How he hears sounds harmonious 
and inharmonious, of music rolling softly and sweetly, 
through halls of praise and corridors of song, in joyful 
strains of voice so soft ; and, their wild strains of 
sorrow trilled with woe in feeble accents of trembling, 
quivering wail of broken voices. How this moral agent 



34 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

would feel for the Pillars of Empire, and would lay 
his hand on the sceptre of realms and crowns of king- 
doms, and so be Emperor of worlds. Then he would 
lightly touch the chords that bind in unity, the ideal of 
what may be to what is out-lined unknowable, and with 
selfish grasp, claim the thrill of joy thought to reign in 
the mute silence of unheard song of praise. How he 
would gather fragrance of sweetest odor from groves, 
and flowers that grow and bloom in the Paradise of 
Summer Lands through endless rolling years. This 
Secondary Sovereignty under the all controlling energy 
of love is in the service of the Author thereof ; but 
when under the controlling energy of hate is in the 
service of Satan. These services so unlike in their 
ways, so record their toils, that they are known by their 
fruits ; and, all that is good grows in the Eden of the 
Lord ; and, the evil of time grows in the deserts of 
transgression. 

This Secondary Sovereignty, under the all controlling 
Sovereignty of Jehovah, waves the banner of freedom ov- 
er the land of bondage, proclaims liberty to the captives, 
and opening of the prison doors to them that are bound, 
glad tidings to the sorrowing ; bears bread to the hungry, 
water to the thristy, clothing to the naked ; and pro- 
claims salvation to the perishing of time. This Sec- 
ondary Sovereignty investigates claims, adjudicates 
causes, passes judgments on hearings and executes pen- 
alties. In the records of Secondary Sovereignty, there 



SIRS. WHAT MUST 1 DO TO BE SAVED ? 35 

is no act of the all controlling Sovereignty possible to 
the Subordinate Sovereignty, that the Secondary Sover- 
eignty in the possibilities thereof, does not approve. 
When the voice is raised against penalty the will of the 
same voice would execute on sight. The Secondary 
Sovereignty, in some sense, is formed in the image of 
the Author thereof. The moral agent has the executive 
energy, the will ; the judicial energy, the conscience, 
(knowledge of the law and testimony) : the legislative 
energy, the affections, hope and fear ; and, by common 
consent, the moral agent yeilds to the force of another, 
the controlling energy of Satan, hate, as one force, the 
all controlling energy of Jehovah, love, is the other. 
The moral agent is warned against the former, and the 
warning voice is from Heaven ; and the Earth takes up 
the strain, and the World of startling sounds echoes 
warning notes. The moral agent is bound by all known 
laws in Equity, to serve eternal allegiance to the all 
controlling enero-y of Jehovah's Soverei^ntv. 

The sin in the transgression of law lies in faith in 
the testimony of Satan and unbelief in the testimony 
of God : "Jehovah said, thou shalt surely die ;" " Satan 
said, thou shalt not surely die," see Gen, 3:1-18. That 
unbelief is the sin in the transgression is evident, and 
the action in the transgression of law is clear. Read 
the records of the fall in Gen. 3:1-18. Then observe 
the sublime manifestations of the endowments of moral 
agency, unimpaired in their power and full force : the 



36 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

will, the executive energy ; the conscience, the judicial 
energy (a knowledge of the law — the law was plain. 
See Essay, "Obligations resting on the moral agent"), 
and a knowledge of testimony ( God's testimony was 
well understood) ; the legislative energy, the affections, 
hope and fear, or doubt, in all their expanding ; then 
the balancing of the endowments of the moral agent 
between the law and testimony of the all controlling 
energy of love, God, and the controlling energy of 
hate, Satan ; and, having the power without the right 
to reject the testimony of God and believe the testimony 
of Satan. The decision was made. The legislative 
energy framed the law of transgression ; the judicial 
energy decided the case, and the executive energy par- 
took of the forbidden fruit. In the transgression the 
energies of man's moral agency were lost, but have 
been restored by the atonement of Jesus Christ. Man 
having bias to sin, but having knowledge of false test- 
imony of Satan and the truth of God's testimony. To 
return to God is to reverse the order, to believe in God 
and reject the testimony of Satan. The law is plain, 
"the law of faith," Rom. 3:27 ; " Without faith it is 
impossible to please God," Heb. 11:6. The testimony 
of God is w T ell understood — it is clear, recorded in the 
whole Bible, and read in times' history ; heard in the 
groans of common nature, and felt in the pangs of 
human sorrow ; witnessed in the sufferings of Jesus 
Christ ; and confirmed in the World's Redeemer in His 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 3 7 

triumph over the powers of darkness, and His subjuga- 
tion of the empire of the soul. Satan's testimony is 
" thou shalt not surely die ;" and the moral agent, being 
restored to the plane of voluntary action and choice on 
the atonement of Christ, is called upon to return to 
God, and in the exercises of his endowments — the will 
energy, the conscience — the judicial energy, the affect- 
ions — the legislative energy, he decides between the all 
controlling energy of love, God, and the controlling en- 
ergy of hate, Satan, and takes God's word and is 
restored, or believes Satan and forever remains in 
darkness. In believing God. he says, " Lord I believe, 
help thou my unbelief ; " " He that asketh receiveth ; " 
" He that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out ; " 
" Whosoever will may." Faith in God is taking God 
on his word, and is submission to the all controlling 
Sovereignty of Jehovah ; and submission is between 
the soul and the Lord Jesus Christ. The moral agent 
in his return to God is aided : the word of God is light 
on his way ; the Spirit warns him of sin of righteous 
and the judgment to come ; the persuasive powers of 
the Gospel make their solemn appeals ; he is drawn by 
the Father ; the Savior stands at the door and knocks ; 
and the Spirit and the bride say come, and the Savior 
meets him in love. But when the sinner refuses, Jesus 
says, "Ye will not come unto me." 

The foundation or condition of moral agency under 
the law was the Covenant of Works — the contract 



'38 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

which God made with Adam before the transgression. 
Adam then was sinless, and in this sinless estate, obe- 
dience was possible. Faith is trust, and trust is obedi- 
ence. Faith is fidelity and fidelity is keeping the law, 
and the keeping of law is obedience. Adam failed in 
fidelity and his unbelief was sin. In the unbelief of 
Adam his race fell from the pledges and promises of 
the Covenant of Works, and therefore from the plane of 
moral agency, and therefor left without choice. Every- 
thing was lost and terrible darkness was over the scene. 
The plan of human redemption recovered the Human 
Family to the plane of moral agency, voluntary action 
and choice. On the atonement of Our Lord the sons 
and daughters of men are brought face to face with 
Christ and are called to make their choice forever ; that 
is, " Choose you this day whom ye will serve. 

ESSAY VII. 



HOW FAITH COMES. 



u So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the 
word of God," the endowment of hearing, has a com- 
prehensive significance. It implies a comparative con- 
dition of the individual endowments of human person- 
ality. To say the least sufficient in order to the science 
of understanding proportions or reason. It implies 
the possibility of reading, or hearing another read, or 
hearing another speak, i.e., an individual may hear the 
Gospel, he may never hear the Gospel. It implies 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 30 

reading, or hearing another read, or hearing another 
speak. Without hearing there can be no faith. Faith 
is possible on hearing. "Take heed how ye hear." "So 
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
God." There is hearing with interest, with concern, 
with anxiety, with fear and alarm. There is hearing 
without the least interest. Hearing is an involuntary 
action of individual endowment of human personality. 
The endowment of itself must be in harmony with the 
laws of acoustics. There may be hearing without the 
consent, and against the purpose of the endowment, and 
therefore the message may be an unwelcome visitor, 
though of the very highest importance, and containing 
the chief good to, and for the personality. "Have faith 
in God," Mark 11:22; faith is believing God, on His 
word ; not on man's word, and faith is between the 
soul and the Saviour, and is a matter of personal con- 
sciousness to the soul and known to the Saviour. "The 
word is nigh thee, even the word of Spirit which we 
preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the 
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God 
raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved, for with 
the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with 
the mouth confession is made unto salvation," Rom. 
10:8-9-10. "He that believeth in the Son of God hath 
the witness in himself ; he that believeth not, hath made 
Him a liar ; because he believeth not the record that 
God gave of His Son, and this is the record that God 



40 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

hath given to us, Eternal life and this life in his Son." 
"Then said they unto Him, what shall we do that we 
may work the work of God? Jesus answered and said 
unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe in 
Him whom the Father hath sent." "For I came not to 
do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me," 
John 6:28-29-38 ; "Verily, verily I say unto you, we 
speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen ; 
and you receive not our witness ; " and as Moses lifted 
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son 
of man be lifted up ; That whosoever believeth on Him, 
should not perish, but have everlasting life." "For 
God so loved the world that He gave His only begot- 
ten ~Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." "He that believeth on 
Him is not condemned ; but he that believeth not, is 
condemned already, because, he hath not believed in 
the name of the only begotten Son of God," John 3:11- 
14-15-16 ; Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, on God's 
word, without note ; as recorded in the Scriptures, with- 
out human intervention, is what God requires. The 
word of God must be believed, because it is the word 
of God, not what men say about God's word ; but what 
God says in His word. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
he that heareth my word and believeth in Him that 
sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into 
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life, John 
5:14. 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 41 

ESSAY VIII. 



IS GOD PARTIAL? 

The created father (x\darn), of the human family 
without any reason, for no reason, nor because of any- 
thing God had done, or left undone, sinned against his 
Sovereign, in the transgression of law, and in the awful 
moment of unbelief, chose Jehovah's enemy as his Sov- 
ereign and ruler. The crime taking on the double form 
of guilt. Adam was the object of God's peculiar care ; 
he had, and enjoyed the special and marked attention 
of his Maker. The Fatherhood of God, still distin- 
guished by marvelous manifestations of care and regard, 
made provisions for the whole family of Adam. The 
sunshine, the shower, seed-time and harvest,' are shared 
in equal measures, other things being equal, by the 
son's and daughters of time. The offers of the favors 
of Jehovah's methods of restoration, are matters on 
equal terms, to all mankind. There is without question, 
a special regard after God's kind offers of favor are ac- 
cepted. Cain and Abel, so far as is known, were the 
same before the Lord till a period turned, when Abel 
was marked by the Divine approbation of the Father- 
hood of God. The law knows character, not person. 
The obedience of one and disobedience of another are 
signs of character; and are entitled to just claims, 
which will record destinies. Partiality may obtain, in 
the histories of Subordinates ; but how with the Su- 



42 SIRS, WHAT MUST 1 DO TO BE SAVED ? 

preme? Ham transgressed ; and his history is recorded. 
The family of Noah, with the exception of Ham, were 
equal to the period of confusion. There is little known 
of the human family after the dispersion, to the call of 
Abram. There seem to have been two kinds of relig- 
ion, and two societies — Image Worship and Fire Wor- 
ship, Sabeans and Magi. It may be that the latter 
were the nearest to the true worship, and that the Lord 
called Abram from the Magi. He might have been the 
best and most worthy of any. "Wise men came from 
the East to Jerusalem." It does not recite, that God 
did not call any others. Abram obeyed the call, and 
became the subject of Divine care. It has always been 
very difficult to hold mankind to any centre, but Sin. 
The Messiah was to come according to the predictions, 
and therefore God's special care for Abram and his 
family was reasonable ; with the kindest purposes to 
all the human family, provisions were made for con- 
verts to the religion of Revelation, Ruth came into 
the Royal line, Jehovah measured out his kindness to 
Egypt ; Egypt measured out unkindness to a handful of 
strangers ; for a period of four hundred years, then God 
in His way, gave them a fair and impartial trial, and 
hearing ; and after ten most remarkable periods in the 
progress thereof, in all fairness, God measured out jus- 
tice, in mercy to the Nation that sought Israel's ruin, 
and the destruction of the world's hopes. Sin calls for 
justice, and it must be measured out. Innocence must 



SIRS, WHAT MIST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 43 

be protected, and it is measured out by justice. Those 
who sin against the highest authority must in due time, 
answer for the crime. Sin brings its own penalty. The 
Nations of the history of time made their records and 
received in harmony according to their works. There 
is nothing unjust in justice, though it is hard to endure. 
Pain is pain. There is no partiality in justice, and 
mercy is administered in harmony with the conditions 
of Obedience. Our Lord made his advent in due time 
and the people crucified him. He made provisions for 
the human family in the ruin the world sought in the 
Crucifixion of His person on the Cross. They said, this 
is the heir let us kill Him. and the inheritance shall be 
ours. 

ESSAY IX. 



WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be 
saved, and thy house. When a sentence is complete, 
and independent, and not connected with the following 
sentence, it is marked with a period. The answer to 
the question in this text is complete ; it is marked with 
a period. The question by the Philippian jailer is the 
only one of its exact form, found in the New Testament; 
'•What must I do to be Saved?" Its unmeasured im- 
portance is marked by the answer, v *Believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ." The answer is plain and pointed, it is 
comprehensive and complete, it is the mind of the Spirit. 



44 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED 



9 



There can be no mistake, it is by inspiration. Our 
Lord appointed this answer to this question. This 
question implies that this man knew that he was in a 
lost condition, that his lost estate without recovery, 
measured the doom of ages. It implies that he knew 
lie could not save himself, that there was one who could 
save him, that the Apostles could tell him what to do; 
(The New Testament was not written at this time,) and 
then he, the jailor, was willing, and ready to do what 
was required. The reply to this question, informed 
this man, and measured the importance of the question, 
i.e., it gave the man the answer in full. The object of 
Faith — the Lord Jesus Christ, to believe in Christ's per- 
son — in His work, and in His word, just as the Scrip- 
tures recite, no more, no less. Faith has action, the 
verb is active and transitive. In order to reach the 
full significance, the full meaning of the word is re- 
quired. Pistuo, is to believe, give credit, to have confi- 
dence in, the veracity of, to confide in, to trust, to have 
unwavering hope, to confide in, to intrust, to commit to 
the charge of, or power of. Pistis, firm persuasion, of 
the truth, and veracity of any one, faith, that which is 
believed, the doctrine of faith, assurance, confidence, 
trust, implicit and unwavering hope, and confidence in 
any one, or exercised in regard to anything, faithful- 
ness, fidelity, truth, or occasion of belief, argument, 
proof. Belief or persuasion, pledge, faith, promise, 
engagement, allegiance. Pistos, faithful, true, fidelity, 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 45 



firm adherance to duty, truth creditable, sure, certain. 

.Pistoo, to make faithful, confirm, strengthen one's con- 
fidence in, assured of. Pistuo, to believe in Chiist, to 
profess the (Christian Religion), religion of Jesus, faith 
leaves nothing out. The answer covers the question 

jin full, and needs no human tongue to make it plainer. 
The Soul and the Savior, are brought in relation in the 
Scriptures. The soul is brought before the Saviour, 
and must accept or reject Christ. Eternal salvation is 

[between "the Christ" and the Soul. The word of 
Christ leads to the work of Christ, and the work, the 
atonement of Christ, leads to the person of Christ ; the 
person of Christ to the works of creation, the works of 

! creation to the sinless estate of man ; then to the fall. 
The fall to the plan of Salvation, and the circle is 

.made. The condition of salvation, choice; and Heaven 
or hell. 

Is it possible for a poor sinner to believe in Christ? 
The word of faith is nigh thee, in thy mouth ; and ia 
thy heart, the word which we preach — that it thou 
ska It confess witk thy mouth, the Lord Jesus, and be- 
lieve in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, 
thou shalt be saved ; kw Ask, and ye shall receive, seek, 
and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened." "Lord 
I believe, help thou my unbelief." Will the poor 
trembling sinner believe? The Lord has endowed him, 

jhe has the will, the executive energy, the conscience — 
a knowledge of the law and testimony. Then the leg- 



46 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

islative energy — the affections — hope and fear, the 
extremes, with all their mean ; and then behind all, the 
offers of the all controlling energy of love, the all 
controlling Sovereignty of Jehovah, with the Gospel, 
the Holy Spirit, the testimony of all good people, the 
drawings of the Father, and the warning of the law. 

In Eden, Adam and Eve heard what God said in all 
the kindness of His fatherhood. Then they heard what 
Satan said. They weighed the arguments, and decided 
to reject the testimony of God, and receive the testi- 
mony of Satan as worthy of credit. God testifies now 
in his Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, in the plan of 
redemption, and Satan testifies, and people, so many, 
reject the testimony of God, and believe the testimony 
of Satan. Will you believe? Read the Bible with 
interest. Your eternal destiny is in it, will you trifle 
with Heaven, with Hell, with Jehovah, with your poor 
soul? "Whosoever will, may take of the water of 
life." 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 4i 

ESSAY X. 

EXCEPT YE REPENT, YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH." 



MetanoeO) is translated to undergo a change in frame 
of mind and feeling, to make a change of principles 
and practice, to reform. Metanoia, & change of mode of 
thought and feeling, practical reformation, reversal of 
the past. Jletanoeo, to change one's opinions, to change 
one's mode of thinking, feeling and acting, to reform 

- one's life, to feel penitence, sorrow or remorse. Metan. 
oia, a change of mind and purpose, a change of one's 

:• mode of thinking, feeling and acting, reformation of 
life. In the translation of some forms of the word, 
the following are some of the significates : To change 

i in the frame of mind, feeling, principle, thought, opin- 
ion, purpose, acting, and reversal of the past ; also, 

( employing penitence, sorrow, remorse. Repentance is 
an action of the human soul for evils done, and wrongs 
inflicted upon innocence. (Which are sins against our 
Lord ; such were done to Christ, and more, they cru- 

: citied him.) When seen in the light of God's word, 
repentance causes sorrow to roll over the soul like 
mighty waves. Repentance implies evils, wrongs, 
injustice and malice ; and more, wrought for gain, for 
pleasure and other causes. In all these things doing 
violence to law. defying authority, and bringing poverty, 
shame, pain, sorrow, disgrace, destruction, ruin and 
woe upon souls, bodies, estates, reputation, and destiny 



48 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

in time and eternity. This ruin may be wrought in 
the histories of strangers. Repentance no doubt, comes 
to each penitent soul on the account and because of the 
past personal sins and have to do with the great sorrows 
of our Lord, for " Christ suffered" — the just for the 
unjust," " should taste death for every man." " The 
Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." "A man of 
sorrows and acquainted with grief ; He bore our grief 
and carried our sorrows." " It pleased our Lord to put 
Him to grief. Who can look at the sorrows of our 
Lord and not weep tears of penitance? Jesus answered 
to the claims of Divine law. His treatment from men 
is nameless ; and His conflict with the powers of dark- 
ness is far beyond the descriptive powers of language. 
To wrong poor humanity is to sin against God. Has 
no poor soul been wronged by me? no fair heritage laid 
waste by my hands? Have no prospects been blighted? 
no tender affections scorched by strange fires? no 
character marked by the branding iron of slander? no 
cup of sorrow filled with woe? no clanking chains 
laid on the liberty of aspiring souls? no wreath of 
flaming wrath pressed to the temple of innocence? no 
soiled garments given to virtue? no crown of shame laid 
on the brow of chasity? no heart filled with the woes 
of two worlds? Have I nothing to repent of? Is there 
no maddened brain to shriek the wail of woe through 
the anguish of endless years? Yes, and all these, those 
for whom Christ made an atonement with these things, 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 40 

all on the personal sinner, and no wave of sorrow roll 
over the soul, would in every sense indicate a hardness 
of heart unmeasured by the circles of time ; but to be 
measured by eternal years. 

Of all penitents those who assume to be leaders of the 
people in religious matters, should shed the most peni- 
tential tears. The theories so conflicting and practices 
so divergent, are doing their fearful works and are lead- 
ing souls away from God and Christ and Heaven, and 
down the dark, dark ways of destruction and woe. (Eze. 
33:34.) If the Bible be not a unit ; ie, if its parts do not 
agree with its parts, then where are its claims? and of 
what value to a bewildered family of pilgrims, seeking 
some guide to better things? If the Bible be a unit, the 
lessons it contains are a unit, and those well instructed 
out of the Bible will be a unit in the lessons they are 
instructed in out of the bible : and they should be a 
unit in the lessons they impart to others. The Bible 
is a unit and the lessons it contains are a unit and those 
who claim to be ministers are not well informed ; or they 
are not honest men, for the lessons they impart are not 
a unit. They say the Bible is a unit and they claim to 
be honest men. It is a matter of very grave consider- 
ation ; and ministers should weigh their own and the 
destinies of their followers in the balances of Revela- 
tion. The Bible is the only book that reveals human 
destinies and the statements thereof, are formulated by 
Divinitv. Any change bv human authoritv would be 



50 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

human. Any human formulated statement of Divine 
truth must be in error, is dangerous, and should be re- 
jected. ( It is an awful thought to record ; but is it 
not evident that some ministers would rather men and 
women should perish, than be saved outside of their 
lines? 

For appearance, tastes and desires, to add a little to 
a system of belief, as Adam and Eve did, would be un- 
wise. By their sin they brought ruin on their family, 
with all its train of solemn woes. Esau sold his birth- 
right for a little food. Judas sold his Lord for money 
and Pilate knowing his Lord was innocent ; for seeming 
prospective popularity delivered him to his enemies for 
crucifixion. For seeming, only seeming considerations, 
men do awful things in this world. It is possible to 
do as Adam and Eve did ; as Esau did, as Judas did ; 
and as Pilate did ; and still be called ministers ; involv- 
ing their own and the ruin of others ; and have they 
nothing to sorrow for? "If any man preach another 
Gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be 
accursed." Leaders, as they are called, of the people, 
(Christ is leader in His Israel) in matters of Eternal 
interest — Eternal loss and Eternal gain. Men who will 
for any consideration, or any purpose, go outside of the 
Bible, and instruct people in things unauthorized by 
the word of the Lord, are the most ungenerous and 
most dangerous enemies of mankind — they, the most to 
be feared, to be shuned, and avoided of and by mankind 



51 

in life and its pursuits. Repentance implies a knowledge 
of and belief in the sacred Scriptures. The Scriptures 
instruct in the nature, character and destiny of sin. 
Repentance is an overwhelming sorrow for sin and for 
its evils. In this awful sorrow of soul when the poor 
heart is all broken, when the spirit is crushed and when 
ready to sink in dispair,when all hope is lost in all else, 
then it looks by faith to Christ, and one prayer pours 
out its pleading strains : " God be merciful to me, a 
sinner ;" "Lord save or I perish ;" " What must I do to 
be saved?" "Lord remember me when thou comest 
unto Thy Kingdom." When the heart is broken and 
spirit contrite, then repentance fills the soul and pardon 
comes. Repentance and pardon are joined in the 
Scriptures : " Godly sorrow worketh repentance to 
salvation not to be repented of ;" " Except ye repent 
ye shall all likewise perish." Our Lord makes the rule 
and makes the application : " If thy brother trespass 
against thee, rebuke him ; and if he repent, forgive 
him ;" " and that in His name, reformation in order to 
forgiveness of sins, should be proclaimed to all nations. 
( Diaglott Wilsons.) " John preached the baptism of 
repentance for the remission of sins," Luke 3:3 ; Mar. 
1:4. It is the burden of the sacred Scriptures in har- 
mony with the atonement, to instruct mankind that 
repentance and pardon are joined together : 1st Sam. 
15:29 ; 1st Kings 8:47; Jere. 18:8; Eze. 14:5; Joel 
' 2:14 ; Jona. 3:9 ; Luke 17:3 ; Acts 3:19 ; 8:22 ; 17:3 ; 



52 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SATED ? 

2nd Cor. 7:8-9-10; Reve. 2:5 ; 16:21; Hosea 13:14; 
Matt. 3:8-11 ; 9:13; Mar. 2:17 ; Luke 5:31-32 ; Mar. 
1:4 ; Luke 33 ; Acts 11:18 ; 13:24 ; 19:4 ; Luke 15:7 ; 
24:47 ; Acts 20:21 : 26:20 ; Rom. 2:9 ; 2nd Tim. 2:25 
2nd Peter 3:9 ; Judges 21:6 ; Psalm 108:45 ; Matt.ll:20; 
Luke 10:13 ; Matt. 12:41 ; 21:29-32 ; Luke 11:32 ; 15:7. 

ESSAY XI. 

PARDON AXD THE PARDONING POAVER. 



The Hebrew word, selic/iah, signifies "a passing over," 
pardon. Kaphar, signifies " to cover, pacify," to par- 
don. Salack, signifies to pass over, forgive pardon. 
Hatsah, to be pleasing, accepted, pardoned. The Greek 
word, aphieemi, signifies to send away. The Greek 
word, apohw, to release, send away, set at liberty 
acquit, to free from. The significence of these words 
employs the idea, and nothing less, than the authority 
and power of God. Therefore pardon and the pardon- 
ing power are with God. The pardoning power is in 
the hands of the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Grace. 
The Messiah is King in Zion. "All power is given 
unto Me," Matt. 28:18. The place where sin is pardon- 
ed. " But that ye may know that the son of man hath 
power on earth to forgive »sin ;" " He saith to the sick 
of the palsy, I say unto thee arise, take up thy bed, and 
go into thy house," Mar. 2:10-11. " Son, thy sins are 
forgiven thee, Mar 2:5 ; (Luke 5:24.) The Reign or 



53 

Kingdom of Grace originated in the counsels of Heaven, 
with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The 
Lord Jesus " as the Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world." On and in the Reign of Grace the act of 
amnesty was proclaimed immediately on the transgres- 
sion of law. as there is only one Savior ; there is one 
method of grace, one plan of human redemption, one 
power of pardon ; all souls pardoned have been in the 
same way and by the same power, and will, to the end 
of time. The pardon of sin is between the penitent 
believer and his Lord without human intervention. 

J With the open Bible in the presence of Jehovah how 
men and ministers can instruct the people that water 
baptism administered by them seals pardon to the soul 

: of man, as now, must remain a mystery. It is seen 
how ministers by these methods, reach place, power and 
gold, and these may satisfy them, when such ministers 
can show one single text in the Bible that reads, " Be 
baptized in water for the remission of sins/' then the 
question may be debatable. Is it possible that the plan 
of human redemption rests the eternal destinies of 
human personalties on water baptism administered by 

I men? Is it possible for the Lord Jesus Christ to save 

i souls without water baptism administered by man? 

■i "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou sh alt be 
d and thy house." " The Son of man hath power 

l on earth to forgive sin-.*' 



54 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

ESSAY XII. 

"SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND." 






The Hebrew word, bea, signifies to seek to pray. Ba- 
qash, to seek, to enqure for. Chaphar, to dig, to seek, 
to search. Darash, to seek, to enquire. (The last is 
employed in Isaiah 53:5-10.) The Greek word, zeeteo, 
signifies to seek, to look for, to search for, to endeavor 
to obtain, to strive for, to desire, to enquire or ask for. 
"If thou seek him he will be found of thee," 1st Chrs. 
28:9. "Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye 
have Eternal life, and they are they that testify of me." 
" But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God." The Scrip- 
tures make seeking so plain that any person may under- 
stand his or her duty in this regard. The whole Bible 
instructs that man by the violation of law has lost the 
Divine favor, and that man must seek to be restored and 
in God's own way. To seek, implies objective external 
(not subjective internal.) The object of the seeking im- 
plies something of great value — hidden treasure — pearl 
of great price — goodly merchandise. Seek first the 
Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness. Seek the 
truth, the love of God, the salvation of the soul. Then 
seek in the word of the Lord by prayer. " Search 
the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have Eternal 
life and they are they that testify of Me." To seek, 
implies the possibility of finding. This takes on per- 
sonal endowments and God's methods of granting 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 55 

power to seek. "Ask, and ye shall receive ;" "ask, and 
it shall be given you." To seek, implies man's duty to 
his Maker, himself and the world ; " For why will ye 
die, oh house of Israel?" To seek, implies time ; " now 
is the time." This is the day of salvation. To fail to 
seek is certain destruction. " How shall we escape if 
we neglect so great salvation." The Bible makes this 
plain and it is with you, what will you do with it? 

ESSAY XIII. 

WHAT MUST WE DO? 



"The people said, what must we do?" " He answer- 
ed and saith unto them, he that hath two coats, let him 
impart to him that hath none ; and he that hath meat, 
let him do likewise/* Luke 3:10-11. (The explanation 
of our Lord's reply is found in Matt, 25:32 and 39 in- 
clusive.) Then came also Publicans to be baptized, 
and said unto Him, Master what shall we do? And He 
said unto them, exact no more than that which is 
appointed you, Luke 3:12-13. The explanation of our 
Saviour's reply is in Rom. 12:17. "Provide things 
honest in the sight of all men ;" " and the soldiers 
I likewise, demanded of Him saying, and what shall we 
do? And He said unto them, do violence to no man, 
neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your 
wages," Luke 3:14. In explanation read the 15th Psalm, 
the 44th verse of the 3rd chapter of Matt., James 1:27; 



9 



56 SIRS, WHAT MUST 1 DO TO BE SAVED ? 

3:37, and the whole Bible, John had preached the bap- 
tism of repentance for the remission of sins. " Bring 
therefore, fruit worthy of repentance." The New 
Testament was not written, and these questions may 
relate to Christian obligations and duties without the 
written word to guide.. " Then sxid they unto Him, 
what shall we do that we may work the work of God?" 
" Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work 
of God, that ye believe in Him Whom He hath sent," 
John 6:28-29. " Men and brethren what shall we do?" 
Acts 2:37. This question takes the widest possible 
range ; the whole theory and practice of the New 
Testament religion. "I said what shall I do?" Acts 
22:10 ;" "and he trembling and astonished said, Lord 
what w T ilt Thou have me do," Acts 9:6. The Apostle 
Paul's experience comes in "and suddenly there shined 
round about him, a light from Heaven,"Acts 9:3 ; "and 
he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, 
Saul, Saul, why persecutes! thou Me?" Acts 9:4 ; " and 
he said who art thou Lord? And the Lord said, I am 
Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to 
kick against the pricks," Acts 9:5. "Saul arose from 
the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no 
man, but they led him by the hand and brought to 
Damascus ; and he was there three days without sight ; 
and neither did eat nor drink," Acts 9:8. "There was 
a certain Disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to 
him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias, and he said, 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED t bi 

behold I am here ; and the Lord said unto him, 
arise and go into the street that is called Straight, and 
enquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of 
Tarsus, for behold he prayeth," Acts 9:10-11 : and hath 
seen in a vision a man named Ananias, Acts 9. (This 
is Paul's experience.) " Coming in and putting his 
hands on him that he might receive his sight/* ••Then 
Ananias answered the Lord, I have heard by many of 
this man, how much evil he hath done to Thy saints at 
Jerusalem, and hear he hath authority from the chief 
priests to bind, all that call onThy name,** Acts 9-12-13-14. 
Paul had an experience, and the Lord related it to 
Ananias before Saul was recognized in fellowship. 
Here is the best and highest authority for the relation 
of experience before church membership. " But the 
Lord said unto him, go thy way, for he is a chosen 
vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles 
and kings, and the Children of Israel ;" •• for I will 
show him how great things he must suffer for My sake/' 
Acts 9:15-1*5 : "and Ananias went his way and entered 
into the house, and putting his hands on him said, 
Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto 
thee in the way as thou comest. has sent me that thou 
Brightest receive thy sight and be rilled with the Holy 
Spirit," Acts 9:17 : "and immediately there fell from 
his eyes as it had been scales, and he received sight 
forthwith, and arose and was baptized," Acts 9:18. 
Paul's experience is wonderful and most remarkable 



58 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

and goes before his baptism. The New Testament is 
written now, and converted persons are therein instruct- 
ed in all matters of faith and work. Paul recites his 
own experience in Acts 22 and 26. The young ruler 
who came to our Lord with grave interest, and in con- 
cern of personal earnestness, is recorded in this line of 
investigation ; " And behold, one came and said unto 
Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I 
may have Eternal life? Matt. 19:16. (See Mar. 10:17 ; 
Luke 10:25; 18:18.) " Jesus said unto him, if thou 
wilt be perfect, go and sell all thou hast and give to the 
poor, and thou shalt have treasures in Heaven, and 
come and follow Me ; when the young man heard that 
he was very sorrowful for he had great possessions," 
Matt. 19:21-22. The explanation of our Lord's reply 
is found in Matt. 25, and from 31 to 40 inclusive, and 
Matt. 19:27-28-29, and the whole New Testament. 

ESSAY XIV. 

" ELECT ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD, THE 

FATHER." 



God elected the plan ; elected Christ to work it out, 
and all who will believe "through santification of the 
spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of 
Jesus Christ," 1st Peter 1:2. " For as much as ye know 
that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things 
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received 
by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 59 

blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and 
without spot, who verily was foreordained before the 
world ; but was manifest in these last times for you, 
who by him do believe in God, that He raised him up 
from the dead, and gave him glory that your faith and 
hope might be in God ; seeing ye have purified your 
souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto 
unfeigned love of the brethren. See that ye love one 
another with pure heart fervently,'' 1st Peter 1:18 to 
22 inclusive. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up 
a Spiritual House, an Holy Priesthood, to offer up 
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ." 
Wherefore also it is contained in the Scriptures : "Be- 
hold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect precious 
(Isaiah 28), and he that believeth in Him shall not be 
confounded ; unto you therefore which believe He is 
precious, and a stone of stumbling and a rack of offence. 
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an 
holy nation, a peculiar people that ye should show forth 
the praises of Him who hath caller! you out of darkness 
into His marvelous light," 1st Peter 2:5-6-7-8-9 ; "which 
in times past were not a people, but are now the people 
of the living God," 1st Peter 2:10. "Behold my servant 
whom I have chosen, Mine elect in whom My soul 
delightest. I have put My Spirit upon him ; he shall 
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles;" "to open the 
blind eyes ; to bring the prisoners from the prison, and 
them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. . I 



60 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

am the Lord ; that is My name ; and My glory will I 
not give to another ; neither My praise to graven im- 
ages. Behold the former things are come to pass, and 
new things do I declare. Before they spring forth I 
tell you of them," Isaiah 42:1-1-8-9. "Ye are my wit- 
nesses, saith the Lord, and My servants whom I have 
chosen, that ye my know and believe Me and understand 
that I am He ; before Me there was no God formed, 
neither shall there be after Me," Isaiah 43:10. That 
God elected the plan of redemption (it was the choice 
of Jehovah,) is evident from the whole Divine re- 
cord — "the Holy Scriptures" — and that Christ was the 
Father's choice to work the plan out ; i. 6., to fulfil the 
Divine law, and make an atonement for sin, and that 
Jehovah elected that all believers should be saved, and 
no others. Theses things are evident in the Scriptures. 

ESSAY XV. 

PREDESTINATION AND REPROBATION. 



" For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate 
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He 
might be the first born among' many brethren ; more- 
over, whom He did predestinate, them, He also called ; 
and whom He called, them He also justified ; andwhom 
He justified them He also glorified. What shall we say 
to these things if God be for us who shall be against 
us?" Rom. 8:29-30-31. (See Exo. 33:12-17 ; Psalm 1:6 ; 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 61 

Jere. 1:5 : Matt. 7:23 : Rom. 11:2.) Jehovah determined 
beforehand that all believers should tike on the likeness 
of His Son. (JProorizoo, to fix, or describe the limit 
beforehand, to determine or ordain before, predetermine, 
predestine.) " Blessed be the God and Father of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Who hath blessed us with all Spir- 
itual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 
according as He hath chosen us in Him before the founda- 
tion of the world, that we should be holy and without 
blame before Him in love ; having predestinated us 
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, 
according to the good pleasures of His will,"Eph. 1 :3-4-5. 
Predestination and reprobation are in perfect harmony 
with election, election with free grace, free grace with 
moral agency, and moral agency with human personality 
(with the endowments thereof), and the plan of redemp- 
tion. It is predetermined the believers shall be saved, 
and unbelievers shall be unsaved, and so forever shall be. 
Jehovah deals with persons as sinuers. He offers them 
a free salvation ; by some it is received. Jehovah deals 
with penitents as such, they are pardoned ; by some it 
is rejected. God deals with such as impenitent sinners. 
Those who reject Heaven are left out. Such is the 
Divine order. 



62 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

ESSAY XVI. 

REPROBATION. 






"And as they did not like to retain God in their 
knowledge, God gave them o\er to a reprobate mind, 
to do those things which are not convenient," Rom. 1:28 ; 
"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornification, 
wickedness, covetness, maliciousness ; full of envy, 
murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, backbites, 
proud boasters, inventers of evil things ; disobedient to 
parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, 
without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful. Who 
knowing the judgment of God, that they who commit 
such things are worthy of death, not only do the same 
but have pleasure in them that do them, Rom. 
1:29-39-31-32. (Adokimos, disapproved, rejected by 
implication, useless, reprobate.) This know, that in 
the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall 
be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, 
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unho- 
ly, without natural affection, truce breakers, false 
accusers, incontinent, fierce, dispisers of those that are 
good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures * 
more than lovers of God ; having the form of godliness 
but denying the power thereof. From such, turn away. 
Ever learning and never able to come to a knowledge 
of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood 
Moses, so do these always , resist the truth, men of 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 63 

corrupt minds, reprobate, concerning the faith," 2nd 
Tim. 3:1-2-3-4-5. 6-7-8. " They profess that they know 
God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable 
and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate," 
(Titus.) It is evident that those who reject Christ as 
their Saviour are left out. They reject Christ and are 
themselves rejected useless reprobate. 

ESSAY XVII. 

THE HUMAN WILL. 



" Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have life." 
The will is the executive energy of human personalty. 
Conscience is the judicial energy, and the affections, 
hope and fear ; the extremes, the legislative energy, 
all subject to, on the grounds of moral agency, the con- 
trolling power of hate, Satan, on the side of evil ; or 
to the all controlling power of good, God, on the side 
of good. The mental powers of the energies of human 
personality influenced by the moral powers, are on the 
plane of subordinate sovereignty capable of apprehen- 
; sion, judgment and argument. The endowment of 
I personality wills to hear the case. The judicial has 
j knowledge of the law and testimony. The case is 
' referred to the legislative energy, and new rules send 
the case to the judicial, then the will is ordered to exe- 
cute. (See Adam in the fall and the Aposle Paul in 
his return to his Saviour.) The moral agent, man, now 
I by transgression, under the controlling power of Satan, 



64 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

is called upon by the Gospel to will to change to the 
all controlling power of love, God. The will can take 
on investigation. The moral agent can search the 
Scriptures. By searching, conviction comes to the 
subordinate sovereign man, that the Bible is true, that 
God out of Christ is a consuming lire, that there is no 
hope for man out of Christ. The Scriptures appeal to 
the will, to the judicial energy, to the legislative ener- 
gy, the affections — hope and fear — the extremes ; these 
balance between the joys of Heaven and the sorrows of 
Hell. Laws are enacted and referred to the judicial 
and the judicial instructs the will. Then the will exe- 
cutes " Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief," and 
there is a surrender. "Lord, what wilt Thou have me 
do?" "Lord save or I perish-" When the surrender 
is made the penitent is received under the all control- 
ling energy, power of God ; and the believer is transla- 
ted out of the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of 
God's dear Son. 

ESSAY XVIII. 

THE ATONEMENT. 



The word Jcaphar (to make atonement, to cover), is 
employed in the Old Testament, and katallassoo, (Jcata 
and allassoo) (to change, to reconcile, to exchange), is em- 
in the New Testament. " But we boast in God, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received 
the atonement," Rom.5:ll. It is evident according to 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 65 

the sacred Scriptures, that the whole human family fell 
in Adam from the plane of moral agency ; i. e., that 
Adam's choice was the choice for all his family ; that 
by Adam's choice voluntary action and choice were 
forever lost without external provisions ; and that the 
doom of fate invested the awful scene ; and that the 
doom of fate was to sin and suffer forever. " But of 
the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not 
eat of it ; for the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt 
surely die," Gen. 2:17. Separation from God was the 
result of the transgression of law. " Therefore the 
Lord God sent them forth from the garden of Eden ;" 
" So he drove out the man and placed at the east of 
the garden of Eden, cherubims and a flaming sword, 
which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree 
of Life, Gen. 3:23-24. On this plane there was no hope, 
all was lost. The way to the Tree of Life was closed 
up ; the choice was made forever. 

The atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ restores 
man to moral agency. For as in Adam all died. Even 
so in Christ shall all be made alive," 1st Cor. 15:22 ; 
"but every man in his own order," 1st Cor. 15:22. 
"Therefore by the offence of one, judgment came upon 
all men to condemnation. Even so by the righteousness 
of one the free gift came upon all men, unto justifica- 
tion of life," Rom. 5:28. "For as by one man's diso- 
bedience, many were made sinners ; so by the obedience 
of one, shall many be made righteous," Rom. 5:19 



66 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

« And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and 
between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy head 
and thou shalt bruise his heel," Gen. 3:15. " The next 
day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, behold 
the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the 
World," John 1:29. "For as much then as the children 
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself, likewise, 
took part of the same that through death he might 
destroy him who' had the power of death, that is the 
Devil," Heb. 2:14. "That he by the grace of God 
should taste death for every man," Heb. 2:9. "Every 
branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away ; 
and every branch that beareth fruit he prugeth it, that 
it may bring forth more fruit," John 15:2. The Holy 
Scriptures instruct, that the atonement made by our 
Lord Jesus Christ restored the human family : to the 
plane of moral agency, i. e., voluntary action and choice ; 
and on this plane the whole human family are endowed 
with all the powers of moral agency, and all interests 
in voluntary action and choice. Before the transgres- 
sion man was so endowed, by transgression he lost it. 
By the atonement Christ regained it for man ; i. e., the 
moral agency lost, was restored. " Whosoever will let 
him take the waters of life." The atonement provides 
Eternal salvation for "whosoever will." Before the fall 
Adam had the power with the right to keep the law ; 
He had, in his moral agency, the power without the 
right to transgress the law ; he chose the latter. On 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED t 67 

the atonement of Christ, man is endowed with moral 
^agency ; and in the atonement, "whosoever will, may."" 
The Scriptures everywhere set forth that salvation is 
free. Taking in the rang? of Adam's, man, endowments, 
and the boundless provisions of the atonement that, 
"whosoever will, may," and that the provisions are 
adequate and free, and that now man has the bias to 
sin ; i. e. has his depraved nature ; but he has God's 
word to Adam, the progress of revelations, the advent 
of Christ, and the world's experience to look upon ; 
that all men are invited ; that the Gospel, is proclaimed ; 
that it is sent to the ends of the world ; that salvation 
is offered without money and without price. It pro- 
vides also that each shall make his own choice, and for 
himself, forever. 

ESSAY XIX. 

JEHOVAH FOREKNOWS ALL THINGS. HE FOREKNOWS 
CHARACTER. 



For the children, being not yet born, neither having 
done any good or evil, that the purposes of God, 
according to election, might stand — not of works, but 
of him that calleth. It was said the elder shall serve 
the younger, as it is written, "Jacob have I loved, 
but Esau have I hated;* Rom. 9:11-12-13. "As He 
saith also in Osee, I will call them my people which 
were not my people, and her beloved which was not 
beloved ; and it shall come to pass that in the place 
where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, 



9 



68 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SATED ? 

there shall they be called the Children of the Living 
God," Rom. 9:25-26. "What shall we say, then, that 
the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness 1 , 
have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness 
w T hich is of faith ; but Israel, which followed after the 
law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of 
righteousness, wherefore, because they sought it not by 
faith, but by the works of the law ; for they stumbled 
at that stumbling stone, as it is written. "Behold, I lay 
in Zion a stumbling stone and rook of office, and who- 
soever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed." (See 
Rom. 9:30.31-32). The two persons, Jacob and Esau, 
set forth character. The two covenants are outlined, 
the Law and Gospel, are held in contrast. Justification 
by faith and justification by w T orks, are held in com- 
parison. Jews and Gentiles are indicated, and believ- 
ers and unbelievers are recorded in the destinies of the 
years. 

(Miseoo, to hate, regard with ill will, to detest, 
abhor, to regard with less affection, to love less, 
to esteem less, to slight.) Paul's letter to the Ro- 
mans is an argument on justification by faith, and in 
the plainest manner he sets forth that no one can be 
justified by the w r orks of the law ; that no one can be 
saved by human methods. "And the boys grew, and 
Esau was a cunning hunter — >a man of the field — and 
Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents, and Isaac 
loved Esau because he did eat of his venison ; but 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 69 

Rebecca loved Jacob and Jacob sod pottage : and Esau 
came from the field and was faint, and Esau said to 
Jacob, feed me, I pray the, with some red pottage, for 
I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom, and 
Jacob said, sell me thy birthright, and Esau said I am 
at the point to die and what profit will it do me ? And 
Jacob said, swear to me this day, and he sware unto 
him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob, and Jacob 
gave Esau bread and pottage and lentils, and he did 
eat and drink and rose up and went his way." Thus 
Esau despised his birthright, Gen. 25:2 7-34. Whatever 
this birthright was, Esau sold it. This sets forth the 
man's character ; he despised his birthright. Men 
have taken on the character of Esau in all ages of the 
World's history. This is in harmony with the plan of 
human redemption. Provisions are made, and every 
man has an interest which he will dispose of ; he will 
receive it or he will sell it, and will of his own moral, 
voluntary action, and his own choice. God, then, 
deals with persons on character. God regards the 
faithful, but the unjust are not in approbation with 
Jehovah. 

ESSAY XX. 

IN BECOMING CHRISTIANS. 



The gospel must be heard ; faith cometh by hearing, 
and hearing by the word of God. By the word of the 
Lord men are informed that they are in a fallen estate; 



10 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

that they are alien from God ; that they are transgrss- 
ors of the Divine Law ; that they are sinners, and that 
as snch, without any change in their relations, they 
must exist forever external to the favor of God, and 
forever abide under his displeasure. They are informed 
that they are unable to save themselves. The Bible 
informs men that Christ is the only Saviour ; that he 
came to save, is willing to save, and is ready now to 
save. In becoming Christians, God Spirits, according 
to, and in harmony with the Scripture, is sent into the 
world to convince the world of sin, of righteousness 
and a judgment to come. "My Spirit shall not always 
strive with man. I will pour out My Spirit upon all 
flesh, not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, 
saith the Lord." The sword of the Spirit, which is 
the word of God." " Quench not the Spirit." "Grieve 
not the Spirit of God." " In obeying the truth through 
the Spirit." " The Spirit and the bride say, come." 
"And hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace." The 
salvation of human personality is the objective of our 
Lord's incarnation." " Behold I stand at the door and 
knock, if any man will open the door I will come in 
and sup with him, and he shall sup w T ith me." In be- 
coming Christians men are aided in all that God requires 
them to do. No man will seek the Lord until he feels 
his need of Him. No man will by prayer ask our Lord 
to save him until he feels he is lost, and a perishing 
sinner. When a man feels and knows that he must 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 71 

perish, to all Eternity, without Christ, then he will seek 
the Lord with all his heart. When a man feels that 
his doom is endless damnation out of Christ, and that 
he must be saved, if saved in God's way, then he is 
willing in God's way, and God does for him what he 
cannot do for himself, creates him anew in Christ Jesus. 

ESSAY XXI. 

PROVIDENCE MISCONSTRUED : OR SECONDARY CAUSES. 



The world claiming thought and reflection, seems 
inclined to charge the Author of things with all evil, 
and to give man, science and art, credit for all that is 

i good in whatever comes to pass in the science of things,, 
from the seeming worthless insect of painful sting, to 
the poison serpent whose fatal strike ends all earth 
born hopes ; from malarial breath of humid air to 
plague that knows no balm nor cure ; from flaming heat 
to cold that knows no warmth ; from barren waste to Tor- 
rid zone ; from what seems unneccessary to what forms 
barriers to human thought. These and more are charged 
to God : human sorrow, pain and woe are charged to 
God. Law is the rule of order and action in all the 
departments of this Province of Jehovah's Empire, 
The department of inert matter observes the same laws 
of order and obeys the same rule. When at rest it 
remains ; when in motion it makes its journey. It 
would not be reasonable to suppose accidents with the 

| common interpretation, damage, should occur in a sys- 



72 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

tern where there had been no violation of law — the 
rule of order and action. What are known as accidents, 
must be considered as being a part of, and as belonging 
to penalty. Penalty follows the violation of law. In 
some cases in common phrase, accidents are charged to 
Jehovah ; in some cases to man, and in some cases to 
the chapters of chance. ( Event, happen.) What are 
are called accidents in the department of inert matter, 
seems to be within range of the law of order, violated. 
We know nothing beyond. Accidents seem to be with- 
in the range of disorder. There seems to be no 
exception to the rule ; no respect paid to the good ; 
nor discrimination to the evil. 

In the methods of rule "time and chance happen to 
all." Some accidents are recorded external to the 
relations of intelligent being (moral agency), only as 
these belong to the sphere rendered the theater of such 
display, and such sphere in disorder by virtue of the 
transgression of law (accident is what may or may not 
come to pass, or results of combinations without stated 
periods), as storms, earth-quakes, pestilence, plague and 
others, and such as result from like combinations, and 
such causes and these in times, seasons, belts, ranges, 
locations and places. Some of the chapters in chance, 
are recorded in connection with moral agency, as in the 
histories of ships that go down at sea, rail road disas- 
ters, destructive fires, spreading of diseases, and others. 
The whole system to which this Province of God's Em- 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 73 

pire belongs, as far as man can explore ; i. e. within a 
given range, seems to be in disorder, or in some way 
affected. The law of order has been violated and the 
penalty, whatever it may be, falls in ruins all around. 
How it is beyond these confines, we have no methods 
of knowing. To us the whole beyond is a mystery. 
It would be reasonable to suppose accidents (in harmony 
with order) in no sense could effect beings who were 
without sin or violation of law, or without relationship 
with those who were transgressors of the rules of order. 
It would not be reasonable to think that what are 
known as accidents should transpire only in relation to, 
and in connection with moral agency, and these in 
estates of the violation of the law of order. It is a 
matter of observation that lands and countries are 
under curse because of their people. 

The sins of a people affect the land. So far as we 
know to us at least, disorder prevails in harmony with 
the grade of crime. The vast works of Deity in the 
department of material inert matter are subject to, and 
controlled by the law of order. Some portions of the 
Uuiverse must have been made, formed, created long 
before this Province of God's Empire. Jehovah was 
not idle in the Eternity of the past, and all His works 
bear His own marks — good, very good. Parts of God's 
material works are related to each other, each having 



74 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

its place and condition. The law of order prevails in 
material matter, employed in the constructive sense by 
moral agency. The law of order prevails between the 
foundation, the rock, the pecipitation, derailing of 
trains and casualties in a rail road disaster. There is 
an intimate connection between the speed of a train 
and damage to life and property. There is an intimate 
relation between the skill of a builder of railways, and 
managers, and the damage (in disaster) to life and 
property. The law of order prevails in the department 
of instinct life. Instinct life is inert matter in motion 
in individual animal being, with powers of instinct 
locomotion, obtaining in the lowest and rising to the 
highest order. Instinct life would seem to decend 
lower. Plants would with signs almost seem to claim 
instinct life. They seek moisture, heat and light. 
May it not be said, they look up to the sun ; that they 
hold out their hands to take the cooling cup ; expand 
their lungs to take in the air ; and open their eyes to 
look on passing beauty, and breathe out their oders to 
mingle with universal balm. 

The real relations, it may be, are not traced by 
science between instinct matter and subordinate 
growth. Instinct life as far as is known to us, is what 
it was, only as affected by the transgression of law by 
moral agency. Instinct life may be educated (gross 
material may be), all animals may be from the lowest 
form to man. It will not be denied that instinct life is 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I IM> TO BE SATED ? 75 

affected by the moral agency — voluntary action and 
choice of man in the transgression of law. There are 
many things that are hard and difficult. It is difficult 
to understand how the All-wise Creator would endow 
inert matter with instinct life in animal form, and then 
endow with hatred and vengeance toward each other. 
It is reasonable to suppose and believe that the depart- 
ment of instinct life is vitiated in all the relations 
thereof, by the transgression of law — the law of order. 
No other theory can sustain itself. Therefore animals 
make war on each other, and are subjects of, and liable 
to accidents in common. Instinct life is in.no way 
consulted that we know of, but in some sense may be 
warned of casualties. Such discord in instinct life is 
penalty endured by innocence, because of joint occupa- 
tion, inheritance and location, and it falls with fearful 
weight. But all ends with the ending of this present 
history as far as we know now. There are many ques- 
tions without answers in these matters and within this 
range. It is unwise to charge Jehovah with what belongs 
to moral agency, in this Province of GocVs Empire. 

Law is the rule of order and action in the department 
of rational being and moral agency. Rational being 
and moral agent, are one on this argument. The moral 
agent is endowed with something like Subordinate 
Sovereignty, rendering accountability and responsibility 
in the highest possible sense. There are the action^ 
the moral as;ent, choice, and the results to self and 



76 SIRS, WHiT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

others, in the theory and practice of rational being and 
Subordinate Sovereignty. The doctrine of choice is 
submitted ; the moral agent is consulted ; arguments 
are employed ; the case is heard and judgment passed. 
The choice is made. The moral agent made his choice 
in Eden, and he has made it ever since, and he will 
make it to the end. Adam heard what God said, and 
what Satan said. Men in all the ages have heard the 
same and have done as Adam did. The moral agent is 
author to himself of all his woes. 

Let some of the laws of secondary causes be examin- 
ed in the following order : The moral agent is bound 
physically, mentally and spiritually. In the physical 
there is an intimate relation between the soundness of 
ancestry and the health of descendents. It is reason- 
able to conclude that what is called the lack of intellect 
is based on defection in the material body. It should 
be well understood that God would not give an imper- 
fect soul. " God is no respector of persons." Diseases 
are far reaching — before and after. They are transferr- 
ed. Soundness of mind implies soundness of body ; i. e., 
the capacity of the body in the regions of the intellect 
must be adequate. 

There is an immediate connection between location 
and disease. . There are locations that seem to hold 
certain diseases ; some more mild, others more violent ; 
and to live in such a district, is to invite such diseases. 
There is a well defined relation between exposure and 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 7 7 

disease ; between food, clothing, habitation, location 
and health. There is in the physical, a just comparison 
between activities, labor, toil and work, and harvest. 
In the mental department, there will be correspondency 
between mind and application : betweeen application 
and knowledge ; between knowledge and an enlightened 
understanding : between an enlightened understanding 
and conscience : between conscience and character ; 
between character and work : between work and life, 
and between life and destiny. In these, moral agency 
is substantial and true. 

In the spiritual being of the moral agent there is an 
intimate relation between the moral agent, Adam, and 
the transgression of law ; between the transgression of 
law and the fallen estate of humanity ; between the 
fallen estate and sin ; between sin and the atonement ; 
between the atonement and regeneration ; between re- 
generation and souship ; and between sonship and an 
inheritance of joy. There is no discord between the 
law of order and the law of action, that presides over 
inert matter, instinct life, and spiritual being in this 
Province of Divine Government, subject to conditions 
of apostacy on account of the violation of law by moral 
agency. There are uniformity and harmony in the 
immensity of Gods' works. The law of order presides 
up into spiritual being, and the law of action molds 
inert matter and instinct life. The earth has received 
the impress of sin, and heaves its mighty bosom, and 



IB SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO ,BE SAVED ? 

the beasts thereof groan because of the transgression 
of law. The works of Jehovah are all good, very- 
good, and the violation of law by man sends a wail of 
sorrow from every soul and anguish from time's great 
bosom. 

The three departments of the law of order and 
action in this Province of Jehovah's Empire, seem 
sometimes to culminate in common ruin. The ship of 
inert matter with instinct life and spiritual being, in 
common, go down into the deep places of the mighty 
waters. The three departments are employed by Jeho- 
vah in their own places in the great work of restoration, 
inert matter, instinct life and spiritual being. 

In order to more fully set forth the powers, forces 
and influences of moral agency, and the responsibilities 
thereof : the relations sustained on the part of the 
Secondary Sovereignty of man to the works of Jehovah, 
and man's accountability on the plane of secondary 
causes in the three departments of the law T of order 
and action, the following is in order submitted : Inert 
matter, material substance, form the dwelling, the 
house, the habitation, the abode, the world. Instinct 
life, the furniture, uses, needs, purposes and services. 
Spiritual being, man, moral agent, Secondary Sovereign- 
ty heir. These in their oriental splendor and yet 
marred magnificence. 

The house of material inert matter, the World, this 
Province of God's vast Empire, in foundations deep 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 79 

and broad ; of underlying rocks, stones, sands and well 
laid pillars, firmly settled under plain, mountain, valley, 
slope and undulating landscape ; hemmed by oceans, seas 
and lakes ; fringed by rivers, streams and running 
brooks ; tessellated by plain, wood, lawn, garden, field 
and park ; whose sunbeam walls are wainscoted by 
forest, woods and sylvan colonnade ; whose ceilings of 
deep blue skies are set with diamond stars in groups, 
constellations, moons in silver luster, suns in golden 
beauty, spheres, globes and systems of stupendous mag- 
nitudes, all bathed in light and robed in royal colors of 
bow of promise, set in sky of threatening cloud of 
gathering wrath ; whose palaces of royal workmanship, 
princely in design and elaborate finish, are adorned with 
paintings of deep blue sky, golden sun-burst, sunlight, 
cloud of silver lining, glittering crowns of many stars 
and brilliant colors of royal robes of king of days ; 
paintings of pyramids, mountains, landscapes, hills, 
valleys, slopes and plains, oceans, waterfalls, crystal 
streams, seas and lakes, springs and dew drops, leaping 
cataract, mist and Hying cloud in rain-bow splendor ; 
whose floors are laid in carpet of more than oriental 
texture, beautiful to behold in design of supervision, 
skill of lily, rose and violet in most artistic style ; 
whose walls, towers, turrets and minarets form barriers, 
to threatening harm, that part the clouds, that ascend 
the skies ; whose faces are veiled in pure light in honor 
I of their Author, in symbol of their loyalty and their 



80 SIRS, WHAT MUST 1 DO TO BE SAVED ? 

devotion to His cause ; whose lamps and flaming lights 
are but borrowed eminations of the Divine Majesty, 
Jehovah, who fills the heart with kindness and the soul 
with loving kindness. This habitation of the moral 
agent, man, whose treasures are the superabounding 
wealth flowing from the hand opened to supply the need 
of every living thing ; whose golden harvests are with- 
out lack in variety and abundance to feed, and make 
merry times, sons and daughters ; whose fruits like 
clusters from the Land of Promise — the Land flowing 
with milk and honey — are like Eden's fruit, the fruit 
of the Garden of the Lord ; whose waters quench the 
thirst and are sw^eet to the taste ; waters of rivers that 
ever flow, of wells ever full, of fountains that never 
fail, springs ever spring up into life ; w 7 hose music is 
chord, harmony, volume, tone, note, voice, hymn, song, 
and ode of anthem, chant and praise in joyous mirth, 
rolling in waves in boundless measure to fall on ever 
listening ears ; whose oders transcend the ideal balm 
as they come from spices, flowers, fields, forests, gardens, 
parks, and breath so pure and chaste, to hail and more 
than kindly greet the senses, finer still, as purified by 
love and sealed in grace and fidelity of Holy service. 

The garniture of this habitation is instinct life. This 
wonderful home, made in such style and fashion, is 
furnished in all the departments thereof, with life in 
all its marvelous activities, demonstrations, energies 
and toil, in foundations, fissures, clefts, cloisters and 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 81 

cells, floors, plains, smooth surfaces, undulating waves, 
bight and depression, oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams, 
springs and fountain's, walls, towers, turrets and minar- 
ets, wainscoted forests, park and colonnade, golden 
sun-beam, silver moonlight, tissue starlight, floating 
zephyrs and gentle breeze, lily, rose and violet, and the 
balm of a thousand flowers, are the dwelling places of 
instinct life. These all radiating the Creator's skilly 
and the Father's kindness in provisions for His children. 
These mighty wonders that have drawn out in attenuated 
form, the highest mold and type of mind in investigation, 
research, thought and theory in bewildering and per- 
plexing schemes of human devise to settle what is 
external to God and His word. Though what is, is 
in perfect harmony with God and His own word uttered 
in plainest speech. 

This home of man, this dwelling, palace, mansion, 
halls of state, colleges, schools of learning, monasteries, 
chambers and pavilions of instinct life, are all stored 
with food well supplied with water, air, essential heat, 
color, song, music, paintings, glowing beauty, and veiled 
in manifestations of magnificence of wonders more 
sublime in mystery still. 

In the wonders of the unfolding of the Divine 
Power there is the unexplained in time, in this wonder- 
ful dwelling where the lower and the higher are in 
joint occupation, possession and interest. 

The third department of the Reign of Order and 



82 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

action in the promise of Jehovah Empire, is rational, 
spiritual being, moral agency, subordinate sovereign, 
the being made in the image of his Maker, in the like, 
ness of his author. Placed as subordinate ruler over 
this heritage, and commanded to keep and dress it, this 
moral agent failed in his part of the contract, in the 
transgression of law, (in harmony with the doctrine of 
secondary causes), not by constraint, but on the plane 
of moral agency having the power without the right to 
transgress ; he sinned, and brought sorrow and woe on 
self and all beside. 

ESSAY XXII. 

UNCONDITIONAL PREDESTINATION, AND REPROBATION. 



The abundant provisions of the plan of human re- 
demption, in the atonement of Jesus Christ, and our 
Lord's methods of application, set forth the freeness of 
the abundant provisions ; and the doctrine of man's 
moral agency, and voluntary action and choice, and 
maintain the doctrine of conditional salvation as 
against unconditional reprobation. "He is the propitia- 
tion of our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins 
of the whole world," I John 2:2. "God sent His son 
into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the 
world through Him might be saved," John 2:14. "The 
love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge : 
that if one died for all, then were all dead," 2d Cor. 
4:14. "That He, by the grace of God, should taste 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 83 

death for every man," Heb. 2:9. Would it be in 
harmony with the divine character to form, make, 
create, rational creatures — beings, — and foreordain 
that all or part should perish in the doom of endless 
torment, independent of conditions ? The Bible fur- 
nishes the reply to this question. The personality of 
Jehovah is against the doctrine of unconditional pre- 
destination, and reprobation. " God is love; 1 ' love is 
kindness, charity, benevolence, friendship. The plan 
of redemption subverts the ungenerous charge against 
the Divine Author of all that is good. " God so loved 
the world that he gave his only begotten son that who- 
soever would believe in hint should not perish, but 
have everlasting life." The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled 
the law. » c Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all 
thy might, mind and strength, and thy neighbor as thy 
self." " The Lord Jesus in the garden, prayed if it be 
possible, let this cup pass from me ; nevertheless, not 
my will but thine, O, God, be done." Jesus fulfilled 
the law. " He bear our sins in his own body on the 
tree." " Lo, I come in the volume of the book, as it is 
written of me, to do Thy will, O, God." Our Lord 
loved the father supremely. " He was obedient even 
unto the death of the cross." Jesus loved his neighbor; 
He died for our sins ; " He suffered the just for the 
unjust." The plan of human redemption was'devised 
from the foundation of the world. " Elect according 
to the foreknowledge of God," 1st Peter 1:2. "Kept 



84 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

secret from the foundation of the world," Matt. 13:35. 
" Chosen in him before the foundation of the world," 
Eph. 1:14. "As a Lamb, slain from the foundation of 
the world," Rev. 13:8. "I will put enmity between 
thee and the woman ; and between thy seed and her 
seed it shall bruise thy head ; and thou shalt bruise his 
heel," Gen. 3:15. God was not overtaken with disaster 
in his moral government. Jehovah foreknew, and 
therefore prepared for the moral agent's needs. There 
are ship yards in maritime states where sea-going ves- 
sels are constructed for the commerce of the world. 
There are small boats built and put on board the great 
ships, and launched with them. Ask the builder what 
the small boats are for. His reply is ready: To save 
the persons on board in case of a disaster. Still en- 
quire: In the construction of the ship is it the purpose 
of the builder that the ship should go down at sea ? 
The reply is: No ; it is no part of the design. So God 
made provisions for the fall of man, and the life-boat 
w^as provided — the seed of the woman. 

The infinite Jehovah saw the fall on the plane of 
man's moral agency, and provided the life-boat. The 
plan of redemption, " her seed shall bruise thy head, 
and thou shalt bruise his heel." The purposes of the 
life-boat are to save all who will believe in the Lord 
Jesus Christ — no more, no less. "Verily, I say unto 
you, he that heareth my words and belie veth in Him 
that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 85 

into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life," 
John 5:24. The sufferings of Our Lord are employed 
against unconditional predestination and reprobation. 
The sufferings of God's dear son are unmeasured ; the 
sorrows of the lost are unmeasured ; the joys of heaven 
are unmeasured. No more is the ransom price paid by 
our Lord Jesus Christ, measured : that which Christ 
suffered in order to restore man to the plane of moral 
agency, voluntary action, and choice. The declarations 
of the Holy Scriptures set the doctrine of uncon- 
ditional predestination and reprobation aside. k - God 
is no respecter of persons," Acts 10:45. The histories 
of individuals recorded in the Scriptures set this 
doctrine at rest. The doctrine of apostacy is taught. 
To apostatize is to fall ; to fall signifies from the 
higher to the lower. To fall from the plane of moral 
agency on the atonement of Christ, is to fall from the 
plane of the Divine favor on which man may by the 
grace of God, choose Christ. It seems by the Scriptures 
that apostacy is the final rejection of Christ as one's 
Saviour. " She bear his brother Abel, and Abel was a 
keeper of sheep : but Cain was a tiller of the ground ; 
and in process of time it came to pass that Cain 
brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering unto the 
Lord. And Abel he also brought of the firstlings of 
his fiocks, and the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect 
unto Abel and his offering ; but unto Cain and his 
offering he had not respect ; and Cain was very wroth, 



86 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

and his countenance fell, and the Lord said to Cain, 
why art thou wroth ? and why is thy countenance 
fallen ? If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted ? 
and if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door," Gen. 
4:3-4-5-6-1. Cain, by the Scriptures, had a choice be- 
tween the offerings. One offering signified faith in 
the coming Messiah ; the other works the same in 
doctrine as now. Esau sold his birthright. "And 
Esau said to Jacob, feed me, I pray thee, with that 
same red pottage, for I am faint ; therefore was his 
name called Edom, and Jacob said, sell me this day 
thy birthright ; and Esau said, I am at the point to die 
and what profit shall this birthright do me ? and Jacob 
said, swear to me, this day, and he swore unto him ; 
and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob 
gave Esau bread and lentils, and he did eat and drink, 
and rose up and w r ent his w r ay ; thus Esau despised his 
birthright," Gen. 25:30-31-32-33-34. "Who, for one 
meal of pottage, sold his birthright," Heb. 12:16. 
Pharaoh is referred to. The Scripture recites that the 
Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and that Pharaoh 
hardened his own heart. That Pharaoh hardened his 
own heart, rejected the testimony of God, and that 
therefore God abandoned him is evident, in harmony 
with the records. Pharaoh saw the wonderful mani- 
festations of God in the Ten Plagues. That Pharaoh 
had a time of special favor, is evident, but sinned away 
his day, his time and period of grace. The word in 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 87 

the 9th chapter of Exod may be rendered "to stand 
still." "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, 
and said, entreat the Lord that he may take away the 
frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the 
people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord, 
and the Lord did according to the word of Moses ; but 
when Pharaoh saw that there was respite he hardened 
his heart and would not let the people go," Exod 
8:8,13,15. 

Judas, who betrayed our Lord, and sold him for 
thirty pieces of silver, is presented in the New Testa- 
ment as an apostate. Judas had an interest in Our 
Lord, and whatever it was he sold it. The human 
family have an interest in our Lord Jesus Christ, as it 
is recorded, "That He, by the grace of God, should 
taste death for every man," Heb. 2:9. Was Judas a 

t regenerated man ? "Jesus answered them: have I not 
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil." " He 
spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it 
was that should betray him," John 6:70-71. " I Speak 
not of you all, for I know whom I have chosen, that 
the Scriptures might be fulfilled ; he that eateth bread 
with me hath lifted up his heel against me," John 13:18, 
" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but be- 
cause he was a thief and had the bag and bear what 
was put therein," John 12:6. It must be evident that 
Judas was not a Christian. Judas sold his Lord. "He 
said unto them, what will ye give me, and I will 



b8 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED t 

deliver Him unto you? arid they covenanted with him 
for thirty pieces of silver," Matt. 25:15. Judas be- 
trayed our Lord. " Whomsoever I shall kiss, that 
same is he ; hold him fast ; and forthwith he came to 
Jesus and said, hail, Master, and kissed him," Matt. 
26:48-49. Judas was with Our Lord ; he saw, heard, 
felt, was impressed, and no doubt understood to some 
extent what compelled him to take on seeming interest 
in the mission of the Redeemer, and \ T et sold him, and 
then when it was too late, repented and then took his 
own life. When the awful confession came of his de- 
liberate crime, it settles his own sin on his own soul. 
"Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw 
that he was condemned, repented himself and brought 
again the thiry pieces of silver to the chief priests and 
elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed 
the Innocent Blood, and they said, what is that to us? 
see thou to that ; and he cast down the thirty pieces of 
silver in the temple and went and hanged himself," 
Matt. 27:3-4-5. Pontius Pilate, in his most remarkable 
history, passes in review in this line of investigation. 
Pilate was a Gentile. "And Pilate, when he had called 
together the chief priests and rulers of the people, said 
unto them: ye have brought this man unto me as one 
that misleadeth the people, and behold I have examined 
him before you and have found no fault in this man 
touching those things whereof you accuse him, no, nor 
yet Herod ; Lo nothing worthy of death is found in 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 89 

him," Luke 23:14-15. When he was set down on the 
judgment seat his wife sent unto him saying, have 
nothing to do with this just man, " For I have suffered 
many things this day in a dream because of him." 
"Pilate saith unto them, what, then, shall I do with 
Jesus which is called Christ ?" "Why, what evil hath 
he done ? " When Pilate saw that he could prevail 
nothing, but rather that a tumult was made, he took 
water and washed his hands before the multitude, say- 
ing : I am innocent of the blood of this just person ; 
see ye to it," Matt, 27:19, 22, 24. "For he knew that 
the chief priests had delivered him for envy, and 
Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas 
unto them and delivered Jesus when he had scourged 
him to be crucified," Mar. 15:10, 15. "And he said 
unto them the third time, why, what evil has he done? 
I have found no cause of death in him ; and Pilate 
gave sentence that it should be as they required, and 
he delivered Jesus to their will," Luke 2 3:22, 24, 25. 
Xo one will presume to assume that Pilate had no in- 
terest in Our Lord, i e., that Christ had no interest in 
Pilate. Whatever it was, he bargained it away for 
popularity. That all who hear the gospel are brought 
face to face with Christ in the gospel, at some period 
in life, and must accept or reject the Saviour. To reject 
Christ is to apostatize ; to apostatize is to fall from 
the plane of moral agency ; to fall from the place of 
moral agency is to say no to Christ in the plan of sal- 



90 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

vation for the last time. It is evident Cain, the people 
before the flood, Esau, Pharaoh, Judas and Pilate had 
no second choice ; it was the last. 

ESSAY XXIII. 

THE OBLIGATIONS RESTING ON MAN AS MORAL AGENT. 



It is evident and clear that on the plane of the Cove- 
nant of Works with Adam, that the sin of rebellion 
was the sin in two acts of omission and commission. 
The former, failing to do what God commanded: 
" Dress the Garden and keep it." The latter, eating 
the forbidden fruit. The charge to Adam sets forth 
his birth and wonderful endowments : created in the 
Image of God, a Subordinate Sovereign in some sense, 
endowed with perception, conception and judgment, 
apprehension, judgment and argument, and appointed 
in the Divine order as Ruler over this Province of Je- 
hevah's Empire — a Province of such unmeasured value, 
boundless wealth and vast importance. The great trust 
imposed, in some sense, may be indicated in God's 
care for this part of His Great Empire. Jehovah is 
careful of the materials of inert matter, instinct life 
and Rational Spiritual Being ; inert matter in its order, 
instinct life in its needs, and Rational Being in all its 
wants and destinies of joy and sorrow. Jehovah's in- 
junction expresses labor and care : "Let not the fields 
lay waste nor suffer the industries to descend into ruin. 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 91 

Consume not the wealth, nor bind the inhabitants in 
chains of slavery. Subject them to no sorrow, nor 
lay violent hands on their offspring. Kindle no lires 
to flame away their treasures. Bring no plagues to 
their borders nor scorching wasting pestilence to their 
homes. Bring not thirst to their lips, nor the rlre of 
thirst to their flaming tongues. Suffer no famine in 
their lands, nor starvation to enter their dwellings, nor 
bathe this fair heritage of golden sands, diamond step- 
ping stones, sunny skies, rich harvests, pending fruits,, 
cooling waters, bowers of song, choirs of music, temple 
of praise, soft and sweet, from voice and harp ; this 
temple ever covered with golden sun-beams in pledg- 
es of the better still, with blood of millions slain. 
Adam was enjoined to keep the Garden, u keep 
it." No foreigner was to come into this heritage. The 

I moral agent was to reject all foreign instructors. There 
was no other plane of access. The law was moral, and 
moral instruction could reach the ruin in Eden. There 
was power to resist Satan as is evident in the history 
of the fall. The invader of this Province of God's 
Empire had rebelled against Divine authority ; " and 
there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought 
against the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his an- 
gels, and prevailed not ; neither was their place found 
anymore in Heaven ; and the great Dragon was cast 
out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which 
deceiveth the whole world," "he was cast out into the 



92 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

earth, and his angels were cast out with him," 
Rev. 12:7-8-9. "And he said unto the woman, yea hath 
God said, ye shall eat of every tree of the Garden, and 
the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the 
fruit of the trees of the Garden, but of the fruit of the 
Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said, 
ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye 
die," Gen. 3:1-2-3. "And the Lord took the man and 
put him into the Garden to dress it and keep it ; and 
the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every 
tree of the Garden thou may est freely eat, but of the 
Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, thou shalt 
not eat of it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou 
shalt surely die," Gen. 2: 15-16-1 7 ; "and the serpent 
said unto the woman thou shalt not surely die, for God 
doth know that in the day ye eat thereof your eyes shall 
be opened, and ye shall be as gods knowing good and 
evil ; and the woman saw that the Tree was good for 
food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree to 
be desired to make one wise. She took of the fruit 
thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband, and 
he ate," Gen 3:4 to 7. The sin of human apostacy is 
the sin of unbelief. While everything was on the side 
of truth and everything against falsehood, truth was 
disbelieved and falsehood was believed. Adam and 
Eve rejected the testimony of God, their Father — the 
bountiful Giver of all their joys — and they believed 
the testimony of Satan, their worst possible enemy and 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 93 

destroyer. The simplicity of the law God gave Adam 
and Eve was most remarkable — a Tree, just a Tree, in 
the midst of the Garden. The moral agent was well 
acquainted with the tree. The location provided 
against the possibility of a mistake. The fruit thereof 

, bore distinguishing marks. It was beautiful to look 
upon. The law was plain, nothing plainer ; " so that 
wayfaring men though fools should not err therein." 
Then the action of the transgresion ( without question, 

. with propriety, employing all the senses,) eating, in 
order to make it plain, so plain that no possible mistake 
could be made. Then this plain — this well defined — this 
well known action is deliberate, making the sin most 
criminal. The moral agent should, by all means, have 
refraimed from eating the fruit whose taste filled earth 
with sorrow. The moral agent sinned knoAvingly and 

, willino'lv and of his free choice. The obligations rest- 
on moral agency, under the Covenant of Grace, need 
not be misunderstood. There have been two Covenants, 
one of Works with Adam, one of Grace with the Sec- 
ond Adam, our Lord Jesns Christ. The former was a 
failure on Adam's part. In the failure, Adam and his 

^ posterity lost all right in moral agency. When Adam 
made his choice he made it for himself and his family ; 
and made it ouce for all and forever ; and without a 
new dispensation matters must have so remained for- 
ever. The Covenant of Grace elevated the whole 
human family to the plane of moral agency, voluntary 



L 



94 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

action and choice. There is a distinction between being 
restored to choice and Eternal salvation. The atone- 
ment restores to the plane of choice, on which plane 
salvation is possible. (Gal. 4:23.24-25 ; Heb. 2:9 ; Gal. 
3:7; John 15:1-10 ; Heb. 1:2 ; chapters Heb. 5:1-9.) 
The whole Bible records the elevation of the family of 
Adam to the plane of moral agency, by the atonement 
of our Lord, on which plane, before the open Bible, 
each person may, by the Grace of God, choose Eternal 
life. 

That all infants and all of feeble minds are saved by 
the atonement of our Lord, is in harmony with the 
Scriptures. The atonement of Christ sends its blessings 
ordinary upon all men in common in this world. But 
its blessings extraordinary, are given to believers ; and 
it saves those only who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
The obligations resting on the moral agent under the 
Covenant of Grace, are repentance toward God, and faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ. " By whom we have receiv- 
ed grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith 
among all nations," Rom. 1:5. That it is the duty of 
all men to obey the Gospel is without question. " He 
that receiveth you, receiveth me ; and He that receiveth 
me, receiveth Him that sent me," Matt. 10:40. " Then 
said they, what shall we do that we might work the 
Work of God. Jesus answered and said unto them, 
this is the Work of God, that ye believe in Him whom 
He hath sent," John 6:28-29. "He that believeth not 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 95 

God, hath made Him a liar ; because he believeth not 
the record that God gave of His Son," 1st John 5:10. 
" Repent ye and believe the Gospel," Mar. 1:15. Reject 
the testimony of Satan, and refrain from all evil. The 
law of obedience under the Covenant of Grace is the 
law of faith, and faith takes God on His word. (Rom. 
3:27; Acts 5:30; 10:30; Gal. 3:13.) It is so plain ; *. e., 
the law of faith, just to take God on His word. It 
saves all scientific investigation. God's word is plain. 
The Tree in Eden was plain. The Cross is plain. (Acts 
5:30: 10:30; Gal. 3:13.) " He bear our sins in His 
own body on the Tree," 1st Petei 2:24. "Believe on 
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." The law 
is plain, though unbelief has sought to render the Cross 
obscure. The poor trembling penitent sees it from afar 
and believes and is saved. " To them gave He power 
to become the Sons of God, even to as many as believed 
on His name." 

ESSAY XXIV. 

UNBELIEF IS DEPARTURE FROM GOD: FAITH IS RETURN 
TO GOD. 



Unbelief was departure from God ; belief must be 
return to God. " And the Lord God took the man and 
put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it, and to 
keep it ; and the Lord God commanded the man, say- 
ing: of every tree in the Garden thou mayest freely 
eat, but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil 



96 SIRS, WHAT MUST 1 DO TO BE SAVED ? 

thou shalt not eat of it ; for in the day thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surely die," Gen. 2:15, 17. The 
word of God to Adam was the word of his Father, the 
Creator, his benefactor, Lord and Saviour. There could 
be no higher authority, as it rested on omnipotence, 
omniscience and omnipresence, and Adam knew all. 
The serpent made his appearance, so forbidding in 
form, with everything against him and nothing com- 
manding, even respect, to rest his word on, unknown 
and untried. And yet Adam believed his testimony. 
" And said, yea, hath God said ye shall not eat of every 
tree of the Garden ; and the woman said unto the 
serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the Garden, but of 
the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden 
God hath said ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye 
touch it lest ye die ; and the serpent said unto the 
woman, ye shall not surely die, for God doth know 
that in the day ye eat thereof ye shall be as gods, 
knowing good and evil," Gen. 3:1-2-3-4-5. The ser- 
pent's argument was heard, and Adam believed Satan. 
What a strange turn of the mind of the moral agent. 
But so it was, is now, and will be. "And when the 
woman saw that the Tree was good for food, and that 
it was pleasant to the eye, and a tree to be desired to 
make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did 
eat and gave also to her husband, and he did eat, and 
the eyes of both were opened," 3:67. They knew the 
good and evil. 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 97 

Faith is return to God ; i. e., man returns to God by 
faith. To disbelieve is to disobey ; to believe, is to 

obey. "And Jesus answering them said, have faith in 
God," Matt. 11:22. "We are not of them that draw 
back unto perdietion, but of them that believe unto the 
saving of the soul," Heb. 10:39. "But without faith it 
is impossible to please God," Heb. 11:6. w - For obedi- 
ence of the faith," Rom. 1:5. " For I am not ashamed 
of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto 
salvation to every one that believeth." "to the Jew firsts 
and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness 
of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written. 
The just shall live by faith,'* Rom. ] :16-17. " Justified 
by faith," Rom. 3:38 ; 5:1: Gal. 2:16; 3:24. - By graee 
through faith are ye saved," Eph. 2:8. It is evident 
that man's departure from God is unbelief. It is elear 
that his return to God is faith. God knows just how to 
deal with His erring subjects. " It is of faith that it 
might be by grace." With the open Bible it is between 
Christ and the soul. If salvation were depending on 
the action of another man, then the poor soul might be 
lost. If salvation were depending on some physical 
action, then the soul might be lost. The man might 
withhold his services ; or the man might be unable to 
render the bodily action. The surrender must be by 
the soul : it must take hold of Christ for itself. Our 
Lord sees and knows the action of faith, and the soul 
feels the action of faith. Faith is an action of a Ra~ 



D8 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

tional Spiritual Being. No human being, in any sense, 
can act for the soul of another, nor go with the soul in 
the action. The minister says, " Behold the Lamb of 
God that taketh away the sin of the world," and he, 
the minister, does his work, then the soul must act for 
itself. Neither does the soul regenerate itself. The 
work is by the Holy Spirit. Faith in Christ, then 
comes God's work. The believer may not be able to 
read, but he can hear the Gospel. Pie may not under- 
stand the learning of the learned, but he understands 
the prints of the nails, and the scar of the spear. He 
may not understand learned tongues, but he understands 
and speaks the language of Canaan. He may not be 
able to defend the cause by methods in argument, but 
he does understand how to defend the cause of his Lord 
by a Holy life and godly conversation. He may not 
know 7 , i. e., understand the philosophy of human wisdom, 
but he does know Him in whom he puts his trust. 

The separation between God and the moral agent, 
Adam, on the plane of the Covenant of Works, was 
on the account of unbelief. (Gen. 2:9-15-16-17 ; 

3:1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-0-10-11-12-18-14-15.) Restoration to 
the Divine favor on the plane of the Covenant of Grace, 
must be by grace through faith. (John 1:7-12 ; 6:29 ; 
11:15-27; 14:1; Acts 8:37 ; 10:43; 13:39; 16:31; 1st 
John 5:1 ; Rom. 3:22 ; 10:9; 1st Cor. 1:21; 1st Tim. 
4:10 ; Heb. 10:39 ; Luke 1:77 ; Eph. 1:13. 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 99 

ESSAY XXV. 

THE TREE IN EDEN AND THE TREK OF THE CROSS. 



The comparison between the Tree in the Garden of 
Eden and the Tree of the Cross, they both reveal, set 
forth good and evil. Tiie Tree in the Garden sets forth 
God's goodness in the rich and abundant provisions 
made in Eden for the happiness and the comfort of the 
family of Adam. In obedience the fruit of the Tree 
was beautiful to look upon. It was the work of the 
Creator unmarred by sin. It was without fault or 
i failing. The created eye could gaze on it and never 
tire. In obedience it was good for food. To believe 
what God said, was to eat the food — the fruit of Para- 
dise. In obedience it was to be disired to make one wise, 
to believe God was, and is Wisdom. In disobedience, 
the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was 
death, ruin in time and Eternity ; in this world great 
- <rrow, and sorrow unending in the world to come. 
The Tree of the Cross sets forth the knowledge of 

<od and evil. The evil of sin is set forth in the 
' sufferings and the crucifixion of the World's Redeem- 
er — our Lord Jesus Christ. What a painting of sin. 
The Tree of the Cross sets forth the goodness of God : 
" God so loved the world, that He gave His only begot- 
ten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life." 

In obedience, the fruit of redemption is pleasant to 



100 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED 



9 



the eye — to the sight. By obedience, it is good for 
food. " I am the bread of life." It is to be desired to 
make one wise unto salvation. " He that believeth on 
the Son hath everlasting life," Gen. 3:22-24 ; 1st Peter 
3:24; Acts 5:30; 10:39; Gal. 3:13; John 6:33-35. 
The whole Bible is full of this lesson. 

ESSAY XXVI. 

MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY. 



The call to the ministerial office of preaching the 
Gospel, is of and by the Great Head of the Church : 
"No man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is 
called of God, as was Aaron," Heb. 5:4. This is settled 
between the Lord and servant. When called, then sent, 
" Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel." 
How is the man to know he is called? Without regen- 
eration of soul he cannot know. He has no spiritual 
communication with God, and therefore no method of 
knowing. He must have his heart filled with love to 
God, and for perishing humanity. He must believe, 
that out of Christ, the world is doomed to eternal 
sorrow. He must believe, " the Gospel is the power of 
God unto salvation." He must feel constrained to 
preach the Gospel ; i. <?., that the work is not in harmo- 
ny with the natural, but with the spiritual man ; that* 
" Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel." He must 
preach or perish. If called of God, then to do God's 
work, to preach the Gospel — the Gospel, no more, no less. 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 101 

Take nothing from it, add nothing to it, not man's 
opinion of it, but God's word only. It is taking 
responsibility no man can afford, to preach anything for 
the Gospel, God has not recorded in His word ; or 
failing to preach anything recorded in the Bible. (Num. 
22:20-35-28; Den. 4:2 ; 8:3; Isaiah 5:24 ; Eze. 3:17 ; 
33:17; Jere. 5:13-14 ; 2(3:2; 1st Thes. 2: 13 ; Mar. 7:13; 
Luke 4:4 : 8:11-21. 

ESSAY XXVII. 

THE LAWS OF EVIDENCE. 



Witnesses, testimony, evidence, of persons, or things- 
What they say in proof, for, or against. "Evidential 
is that which makes manifest a statement which 
contains proof. The evidences of the senses, that 
which is legally submitted to a competent jury, or 
tribunal, as a means of ascertaining the truth of any 
alledged matter of fact under investigation before it, 
means proof. Evidence is of that which has been, is 
now, and shall be in the future. There are two classes 
of witnesses, personal and historical ; two classes of 
testimony, oral and written ; and, two classes of evi- 
dence, the evidence of object, and the evidence of 
testimony. That all human courts recognize these two 
classes of evidence is so well recorded in all their 
books, and manifest in all their practice, that any 
affirmation is unnecessary. The evidence of object is 
personal contact, what one feels, sees, tastes, hears and 



102 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

smells, taking on trial and observation. The evidence 
of testimony is the oral or written account of one or 
more having had the evidence of object, or of testimo- 
ny, and may be of testimony of testimony. In the ab- 
scence of rebutting testimony, the evidence of testimony 
claims a title to the highest consideration. There is 
testimony ordinary of things within mortal range of 
men and things ; within the lines and the confines of 
things : within all time-born matters and objects. 
There is testimony extraordinary of things beyond, and 
in regard to it there is no rebuttal ; no one to testify 
against Revelation. Jehovah says, testifies, " In the 
beginning God created the Heaven and the earth," and 
there is no rebutting testimony. 

The ideal of testimony is the equality of witnesses. 
It must be evident the rebutting testimony must be 
rendered by witnesses, whose advantages for, in every 
sense, knowing the facts, require to be equal to those 
who affirm in the case. The Father affirms. The Son 
affirms. The Holy Spirit affirms. Jehovah is omnip- 
potent, omniscient and omnipresent. The rebutting 
testimony must be by those who always existed ; who 
have existed in all places at all times ; who have for- 
ever known all things in all places, with all power to 
penetrate all mysteries. No human personality w T ill 
presume claims on any such plane. The Bible is 
historical, and the wisdom of the w T orlds accords 
the record. It is the Book of prophetic visions, and they 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 10$ 

have come to pass to the letter. It is the Book of the 
law to all people. It records the theory and practice 
of the Christian religion. ; and millions record their 
testimony in harmony with its truth ; and its enemies 
set their seal to its precepts. The Bible is true. Oh ! 
world of mankind, what will you do with it? 

ESSAY XXVIII. 

WHAT HUMAN PERSONALITY CAN DO. 

Human personality can search the Scriptures, by 
reading or hearing read, asking that they should be 
read. Human personality can seek, look into, search 
for, enquire after, be in earnest about, employ all means 
in seeking, labor earnestly to obtain. " Blessed are 
they that seek Him with the whole heart," Psalm 1 19:2. 
"And those that seek Me early shall find Me," Prov. 
8:17. " Seek ye out of the book of the Lord," Isaiah 
34:16. c * But if from thence thou shall seek the Lord, 
thy God, thou shalt find Him if thou seek Him with all 
thy heart and with all thy soul," Deu. 4:29. "Knock 
and it shall be opened." Krouoo, to knock, to strike 
one thing against another thing, to try, to examine, as 
to stand on the outside, without, and making all possi- 
ble signs in order to, and asking for something, marked 
with all earnestness. Human personality can pray. 
"After this manner pray ye," Matt. (5:9. " Lord, 
teach us how to pray," Luke 11:11. u Men ought al- 
ways to pray," Luke 18:1. u God be merciful to me, a 



104 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

sinner," Luke 18:13. '-Lord remember me when thou 
comest into Thy kingdom." " He will regard the 
prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer," 
Psa. 102:14. Men can sorrow for sin. "Repent." "Godly 
sorrow worketh repentance to salvation that needeth 
not to be repented of." To repent is to reform. Man 
is susceptible to impressions ; these come on investiga- 
tion. Investigation sets forth the wrongs inflicted on 
innocence, damage done to purity, and pain brought to 
the helpless ; and these things bring sorrow to the soul 
of the transgressor. Man can ask. " Ask and ye shall 
receive." Man can reform ; he can break off his sins 
by righteousness, and his iniquities by turning to God ; 
he can call on God ; he can will. "Whosoever will 
may." 

ESSAY XXIX. 

HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE ; THEN INSTRUCT THE PEOPLE. 

Study the Sacred Scriptures without prejudice 
against the Bible ; study the. Bible to know just what 
God says to you ; study the Scriptures, not to sustain 
your creed, but to make the Bible your creed ; study 
the Bible for what it is worth to you ; study the Bible 
to learn your duty and to gain strength to perform 
your duty ; study the Bible as the only book that in- 
forms you of your origin, your character and destiny ; 
study the Bible in faith, hope, and charity ; study the 
Bible by subjects. Read the whole Bible on faith 
from the beginning to the end ; and so of any other 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 105 

subject. Study the Bible as the word of the Lord ; 
study the Bible in its own light — it is its own commen- 
tary and its own exegesis, and the Holy Spirit 
interprets the doctrines thereof to the soul of man; 
study the Bible as the book by which you are to be 
judged at last : study the bible in earnest prayer ; 
study the Bible as the first, only and last book that ean 
lead you out of the land of darkness into the light of 
the Kingdom of Eternal Glory beyond this vale of 
sorrow. 

The Gospel is preached to the world ; "the Gospel is 
the power of God unto salvation to every one that be- 
lieveth." It is preached by giving the written word 
without note or comment ; it is preached by living 
tongues and lips, just as God has given it, without the 
least variation, addition or diminution in any sense or 
way whatsoever ; not in words nor meaning, not in 
theory nor practice, and christians are to enforce the 
Gospel by and in living a holy life. Let your light so 
shine before men that others may see your good works 
and glorify our Father which is in Heaven. This takes 
on the New Testament forms of worship. " Jesus 
saith unto her, woman, the hour cometh when ye shall 
neither in this mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem, worship 
the Father ; but the hour cometh, and now is, when the 
true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and 
in truth ; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. 
God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship 



106 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

in spirit and in truth." 

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners in 
times past, spake unto the Father, by the prophets, hath 
in these last days spaken unto us by His Son." Heb. 
1:1-2. "Thus saith the Lord," Jere. 34:2. "Hear the 
word at my mouth," Eze. 3:17. "Speak now in the 
ears of the people," Exod. 11:2. "Thou shalt speak all 
that I command thee ; ye shall not add unto the words 
which I command you ; neither shall ye diminish ought ' 
from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the 
Lord, your God, which I command you." Deu. 4:2. "If 
any man shall add unto these things, God shall add 
unto him the plagues that are written of in this book ; 
and if any man shall take away from the words of the 
book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part 
out of the book of life and out of the Holy City, and 
from the things which are written of in this book." 
Reve. 21:18:19. 

CONCLUSION. 

JEHOVAH VINDICATES HIS WAYS. 



In the beginning God created all things, and they 
were good, and very good. 

Man in his creation was a perfect being in his own 
order. 

As a subject of moral government, God gave hitn a 
law. The law was plain, distinct, well defined, and was 
well understood by Adam and Eve ; it was a tree in 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 10? 

the midst of the Garden. 

Man was endowed in his creation with moral agency- 
having the power and ability, with the right to keep 
the law ; and having the power, without the right, to 
transgress the law, he elected the latter, and thence 
time's sorrows and earth's woes. 

After the transgression (now) man is endowed with 
moral agency — a secondary sovereignty with the en- 
dowments of the executive energy, — the will, the 
judicial energy, the conscience (knowledge of the law 
and testimony), the legislative energy, the affections, 
hope and fear the extremes ; and these combined in 
one so far perfect personality (subject to bias of sin, 
yet 1 1 of a knowledge of the evils of sin), serving 

as capabilities, which by aids, helps and powers given 
and afforded in and by the methods of grace in the 
Divine government, man may accept the reign of 
the Supreme Sovereignty — the all-controlling energy of 
love — God, or by the abuse thereof may remain forever 
under the controlling energy of hate — Satan. 

There is no injustice in the creation of man, nor in 
the endowments of moral agency. 

God was not overtaken by disaster in His moral 
government, but made provisions, without designing 
the fall, for those who would receive His mercy. 

The doctrine of election records the wisdom and love 
of God. His tenderness and Fatherhood, as also Hi- 
Sovereignty. Jehovah had the right to elect the plan 



10$ SIRS, WHAT MUST 1 DO TO BE SAVED ? 

of salvation, the right to elect His Son to pay the 
ransom price in redemption ; and God had the right 
to elect all who would believe in Jesus Christ to 
eternal life. 

There is neither cruelty nor injustice on the part of 
God after all His love, mercy and kindness in his 
methods of grace in the plan of redemption towards 
and in behalf of the human family, in leaving those out 
of Heaven who refuse to enter, and the salvation of 
those who wish to enter — usually called reprobation* 
and predestination. 

The atonement of our Jesus Christ is the only ransom 
price of redemption. By it all have been saved who 
have been saved ; by it all must be saved who will be 
saved. The atonement made by our Lord Jesus Christ 
restored the whole human family to the plane of moral 
agency, \oluntary action and choice, and every one, 
according to the Gospel, has the choice between Christ 
and the god of this world. " Choose you this day 
whom you will serve." 

The atonement is sufficient — adequate for and to the 
salvation of all mankind ; saves all who are not capable 
of choice, but of all who come to the time of choice, it 
saves those only who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
The decrees of God deal with character in personality. 
" Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Jacob's 
life sets forth his character. Esau's life renders his 
character, and they are contrary, and they forever 






stand out as the lines of the righteous and the wicked. 

God loves righteousness and hates wickedness. 

Jehovah is not partial. " God is no respecter of 
persons, but whosoever feareth God and worketh 
righteousness shall be accepted of him." God sends 
His rain upon the just and unjust. He has provided 
redemption for mankind, and offers His saving grace to 
all alike. "Whosoever will may take of the waters of 
life freely." "That He, by the grace of God, should 
taste death for every man," (person). 

Jehovah vindicates His ways and methods of govern- 
ment in the creation and endowment of such a wonder- 
ful being as man — a being so God-like, so majestic ie 
form, so capable, so skillful in schemes, so wise in 
designs, and so powerful in execution. — endowed with. 
rational execution, by virtue of mental apprehension, 
judgment and argument, and the sublime investments 
of secondary sovereignty, having meets and bounds. 
The Lord Jesus Christ lays the loss of the soul upon 
the soul. "Ye will not come unto Me that ye might 
have life." 

The high character of secondary sovereignty and the 
rich endowments of ha man personality, vindicate Jeho- 
vah against the presumptuous charges of design in the 
apostacy of Adam. That " God is love" vindicates His 
methods in all His ways and works. 

Secondary causes render the reasons for sin's dis- 
order in the midst of God's works, and therefore for 



1 10 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

all the sorrows, pains, ill, troubles, pangs and grief of 
poor humanity. The methods of Divine grace are 
plain, as God has rendered them in His word, so that 
"whosoever will, may come." Those who assume to 
be leaders of the people in matters of eternal destiny, 
take on the responsibilities that Jehovah will call them 
into account for. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is 
submitted in the New Testament as the conditions of 
eternal redemption, which faith takes on the reception 
of Christ, as one's own personal Saviour, and a life of 
devotion to His service. • 

With the open Bible before human personality, char- 
acter and destiny are between, the soul and Saviour. 
There is no physical action in any matter or thing, by 
which any person can know he or she is translated out 
of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God's 
dear Son ; nor by which any change is w r rought in the 
spiritual conditions, relations and destiny of any human 
soul. Contracts" are made when mind meets mind, 
when the mind of the penitent believer meets the mind 
of the spirit in the plan of redemption, then the work 
of salvation is wrought in the soul. 

What things God requires man to do, are possible to 
man ; wdiat man is unable to do God does for him. 
Man can ask God. God can and will change His man's 
character and destiny. The Lord Jesus Christ is the 
Saviour ; and the work of regeneration is the work of 
salvation, and therefore the work of the Lord Jesus. 



SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? Ill 

It is nowhere recorded in the Bible, that the admin- 
istration of any religions ordinance by any minister, 
[regenerates the human soul. Human language lies in 
the unity of the human family ; and therefore is sim- 
ple, and of its own necessity rests on the gift of speech 
in creation, the material works of God's hands, and the 
works of secondary causes. The seeming misunder- 
standing arises from the confusion of tongues. There 
is to the human family but one sun, one moon, and one 
magnificent firmament, and their names in all tongues 
must be the same in sense, though unlike in sound. The 
1 signiticates of a word in any language must be the 
signitieates thereof. The action signifies the things, 
and the things supplies its own names. The thing by 
virtue of itself is entitled to its significates. Those 
who work after their own designs take the advantage 
(seeming) in the confusion of tongues. 

The Bible is all the book needed in the plan of sal- 
vation. It should be translated into the languages of 
the people. "And how hear we every man in our own 
language, wherein we were born." God warns men 
against adding to, or taking from the Bible. If men 
do so, and by it mankind are led away from God and 
Eternal life, God is not chargeable. Repentance and 
remission are joined ; and they are between the soul 
and Saviour in the methods of redemption. No man 
knows whether a man repents or not by any physical 
act or deed. Xo one sees repentance in another, nor 



112 SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED ? 

feels repentance in any other. No man sees nor feels 
remission for another. Repentance is personal and 
individual on the sinner's part, and remission of sins 
on the Saviour's part. 

Would you be saved ? " Faith cometh by hearing, 
and hearing by the word of God." " Search the Scrip- 
tures *■ * * they are they which testify of me." 
The Bible informs man just w r hat he is and just w T hat 
he must be. It shows man his sins and paints his 
character ; unfolds his character, and opens out his 
eternal destiny and points man to Christ, who is able, 
willing, and ready to save him. If man refuses to be 
saved, then God is not chargeable, and Jehovah vindi- 
cates Himself. 



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